Everything But You
by lenik
Summary: Brooke ends things with Lucas when Peyton confesses her feelings, while Haley leaves Nathan to tour with Chris. Friendship develops into a new found love for Nathan and Brooke but will their relationship survive when their exes decide they want them back?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

"I can't believe this is happening again." Brooke blinked completely stunned by her best friends confession. It felt like déjà vu. Peyton was telling her she was in love with Lucas.

"I'm sorry Brooke. I can't help the way I feel." Peyton said hoping Brooke would understand. She desperately hoped that Brooke would somehow understand.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" yelled Brooke narrowing her eyes into daggers. "That's the best you can come up with?"

Peyton looked at her friend dejectedly. She had never wanted to hurt Brooke but felt she owed her best friend the truth considering what had happened last time. She thought the truth is what Brooke would've wanted. Peyton had internally struggled with the decision as to whether or not she should tell Brooke the truth about her feelings for Lucas. But in the end, she couldn't suppress her feelings any longer and this time she was going to do things differently, she wasn't going to lie and go behind Brooke's back, she was going to be honest and she hoped that would count for something.

"I wanted to be honest with you. I didn't want to lie to you again-" started Peyton as Brooke cut her off.

"Again?" scoffed Brooke. "Do you hear yourself Peyton? I'm suppose to be your best friend! And here you are telling me you have feelings for my boyfriend, again! And that you don't want to lie to me, again! Unbelievable."

"I'm-" Peyton tried again.

"No, I don't want to hear it. Just because you chose to be honest with me this time Peyton doesn't mean it hurts any less. I'm done Peyton, I'm done." Brooke said suddenly feeling tired, picking up her purse and storming out of Peyton's house. She was furious that Peyton would do this to her again. They had been best friends since childhood, survived absentee parents, a dead mother and the awkward pre teen years together, never did Brooke think that all it would take was a guy to tear their life long friendship apart. She realized their relationship wasn't what it once was since the first time she found out about Peyton and Lucas but now it was definitely over. She would never be able to trust the girl she once considered a sister again.

Brooke got into her VW Buggy and began to drive home. Home, she thought to herself, the same home that she shared with Lucas and Karen. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. She had to wonder if Lucas still had feelings for Peyton as well. Brooke tried to shake the uncertainty from her mind. No, she told herself, he said he loved her not Peyton. Her thoughts continued to consume her and before long she found herself parked in the driveway.

Slowly Brooke stepped out of the car and hesitantly walked towards the front door. Luckily when she walked in she realized no one was home yet. She let out a sigh of relief as she walked up the stairs and into her room. She sank into her mattress for a moment before turning over to open her night stand. Brooke reached in and pulled out a photo album. She sat up on her bed crossing her legs and lay the album on them before opening it. She looked at the first picture of Lucas and her at the beach kissing. They had been so blissfully happy that day. She smiled sadly and allowed her fingers to gently graze the photo as tears filled her hazel eyes. Brooke flipped to the next page and her tears and sadness were replaced with anger for the boy she loved and her best friend. The photo was of Lucas and Peyton at one of the games after parties, sitting on the couch together in one of their intense deep conversations. Brooke wondered why she had been so blind to it before, how could she had not known of their affair behind her back when it was so painfully obvious.

Brooke slammed the album shut bitterly. She couldn't do this, not again. She had been left so hurt the first time she was betrayed by her best friend and boyfriend. She refused to let it happen again. Brooke wasn't stupid, she knew that when she and Lucas first started dating no one thought they would work, she didn't even think they would work. After all, she was just the dumb, slutty cheerleader and he was the intellectual, brooding jock. But somewhere along the way they fell in love. That love however, wasn't enough for Lucas the first time and now Brooke wondered why it would be enough this time. She knew she had to talk to him but she needed to decide what she was actually going to say to him.

What was she going to do, what should she do? Brooke didn't want to lose Lucas, but she knew that she never fully had him to begin with. Lucas had never confided in her the way he did with Haley or Peyton and she doubted that he ever would. She felt like she was hanging on to her relationship by a string and Peyton was the proverbial pair of scissors that would break them apart forever. Brooke thought of confronting Lucas and asking him if he had any residual feelings for Peyton. He would of course say no, but deep down Lucas wasn't over Peyton. She thought about all the tears she had shed because of Lucas and Peyton, all in the name of her love for him. The hurt she experienced was unlike any other coming from the two people she loved the most and who claimed to have loved her back. She then thought about the speeches he made declaring his love for her, and it all ended the same, she would believe him and they would make up. But no matter what her insecurities (well Peyton) would always rear its ugly head into their relationship. As much as she knew that Lucas thought he loved her, Brooke knew that he would never be over Peyton and now that Peyton had admitted her feelings for him, it would be inevitable. Lucas and Peyton will once again break her heart and Brooke was not going to let that happen again. Either way, her heart was going to be broken but this time she wanted it to be on her terms.

Tears stained Brooke's face as she silently laid back down on her mattress. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Was she really going to go through with what she decided, was she really able to finally let Lucas go? She didn't know the answer but all she knew was that she had to. Brooke contemplated not telling Lucas what Peyton had said but quickly shook that away, she knew that Lucas would find out, that Peyton would eventually say something to him. Then she panicked a bit when she realized that she would have to find somewhere else to stay. Surely there would be no way that she could keep living under the same roof as Lucas if they broke up. She got up off her bed and walked over to her closet to find one her duffel bags from cheer practice. She quickly filled the bag with toiletries, makeup and clothes.

"Brooke?" Lucas asked knocking on her bedroom door. Brooke froze in her spot and looked at the clock, Lucas must be coming from basketball practice.

"Coming." she said, her voice raspy as she placed the duffel bag by her door and quickly wiped her face of the smeared eyeliner and mascara. She took a quick glance at the mirror and sighed as she thought that Lucas would immediately that something was wrong. Brooke's stomach felt like it was in knots and swallowed hard as nausea suddenly overcame her. She reached for the dark knob and took a deep breath before turning it.

"Hey Luke." Brooke greeted Lucas, not meeting his eyes.

"Hey Pretty Girl, I missed you today." smiled Lucas walking up to engulf his petite girlfriend in a hug. He frowned as he felt Brooke tremble in his arms and swallow a sob.

"Brooke, what's wrong?" Lucas asked concerned, he lifted her chin so he could see her face and was surprised to see her eyes red and her cheeks puffy from crying.

Brooke looked into Lucas' concerned eyes and couldn't speak. She stared at him for a moment before pulling away from him and sitting on her bed.

"I can't do this anymore, not again." she said shaking her head. She looked up to find Lucas with a confused expression etched on his face. She knew she wasn't being very clear or coherent at the moment but she didn't know what to do or say.

"What are you talking about? Do what anymore?" Lucas asked coming up in front of Brooke and kneeling so he could see her face.

"This. Us." said Brooke, motioning her hands between Lucas and herself. "I'm so tired of always wondering what's going on in your head. I'm sick of feeling so insecure, that's not who I am Luke and I refuse to be that person anymore."

"Brooke, I don't understand where all this is coming from." Lucas said, a sick feeling began to creep up his stomach. He didn't like where this conversation was going. He stared at her intensely, his blue eyes bearing into her soul, but he couldn't read her, he never really could. All he knew was that she was hurting and he would give anything to take her pain away. He gently reached up to her face and brushed away her tears. "Please, tell me what's going on."

"I was with Peyton today and she told me…" Brooke started but was unable to finish her sentence as fresh tears fell from her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts before continuing.

Lucas tensed as he heard Peyton's name. His mind flashed back to the kiss that he and Peyton had shared during the shooting. Lucas began to panic and dropped his hand from Brooke's face.

"Brooke, I'm sorry I never told you, she thought she was dying and she asked me to kiss her. I swear it didn't mean anything to me." Lucas said frantically.

Brooke's head shot up and her eyes widened with hurt. No, she thought to herself, she must've been hearing things. There could've been no way that Lucas just told her that he kissed Peyton, again. And lied to her about it, again. She just looked at him, stunned by his confession.

"What did you just say?" she asked slowly.

"Brooke, please, I know I should've told you about the kiss but it didn't mean anything to me. I love you not Peyton." Lucas pleaded, searching her eyes. He was surprised to find confusion and shock clouding her hazel orbs.

"You kissed her? When?" demanded Brooke as she dried her eyes. Hurt quickly became anger as her boyfriends words finally began to sink in.

"I…" Lucas started as he realized that Brooke had no idea of the kiss he shared with Peyton. He closed his eyes, unable to face Brooke, knowing that he had hurt her again after promising her everything. He hated that he was always letting her down.

"You, what? Tell me Lucas!" cried Brooke. A mixture of emotions stirred within her. She felt hurt, betrayed, devastated, angry and a little relieved. She realized that all her insecurities and doubt were not just a figment of her imagination but were justified.

"It was during the shooting, and we thought she was dying. She asked me for one last kiss. I swear Brooke, that was it. Nothing else happened and nothing has happened since then. The kiss didn't mean anything to me, you have to believe me." Lucas said, reaching out to Brooke.

"A kiss always means something." she responded looking up at him sadly. She wondered how someone could claim to love another and hurt them so badly. She didn't even have the strength to be angry at the moment. "I have to go."

Brooke let go of Lucas' hands and walked over to the door and picked up her duffel bag.

"I was going to tell you that Peyton told me today that she still has feelings for you. I was so hurt and I didn't understand why or how this could've happened again, but now that I know about the kiss, it makes sense." Brooke informed Lucas before walking out the door. She heard Lucas get up from behind her and she tried to make her exit as quick as possible.

"Brooke, wait!" yelled Lucas, running down the stairs after her. He wasn't going to let her walk out on him, he loved her, he really did and he hated himself for hurting her once again. He needed to make things right.

Brooke paused at the front door. Her hand already on the handle but yet she couldn't bring herself to open it. She knew she should just leave and not look back but yet part of her wanted Lucas to fight for her, to show her that he loved her and only her. So she chose to wait and see what he had to say.

"Please, don't go. We can fix this, we can make this work. I'm sorry I never told you. I love you, and only you. You can't just give up on us without a fight." Lucas desperately pleaded to Brooke.

"You kiss Peyton, again and lied to be, again, and I'm the one that's giving up?! I've been fighting for us and holding on to us but every time I turn around you're with Peyton. You tell her things that you should be telling me. When Keith died, you went to her when you should've come to me. Why can't you just let me all the way in? I can't do this anymore. I'm sick of being your second choice." Brooke cried, shaking her head before opening the door handle and walking out to her car.

"No, Brooke, I'm not letting you do this. Please, we have to talk about this. Where are you going?" asked Lucas running up to her once again but this time placing his hand around her arm, physically trying to stop her. He couldn't believe that his world was falling apart in front of him and he felt helpless to stop it. Lucas loved Brooke, truly, he did and he knew that his actions spoke otherwise but he never meant to shut her out or to make her feel like his second choice. He vowed to show her if she gave him another chance.

"I don't know, but all I know is that I can't be here right now ok? So just let me go." Brooke sighed. She gently pulled her arm out of Lucas' grasp and got into her car. All Lucas could do was watch as Brooke backed out of his driveway and drove away into the darkening evening. He knew he had blew his chance with Brooke and that he had lost his Pretty Girl forever.

* * *

Nathan dribbled the ball hard and he drove to the net, jumping up for the dunk at the top of the key. The ball slammed hard through the net, as the momentum swung his body from the hoop, the light breeze cooling his sweaty body. He let go of the metal and landing on the hard concrete as the basketball bounced at his feet. Nathan lifted the bottom of his white t shirt and wiped the sweat dripping from his face. He decided to come to the Rivercourt to blow off some steam. He had been here for what felt like hours now, practicing, trying to take his mind off Haley. Haley. His wife. His wife who had run off to go on tour with Chris Keller after she had admitted she kissed him. The thought infuriated Nathan, he couldn't believe that Haley would do something so irrational, without a seconds thought or consideration for Nathan or their marriage.

Nathan had returned home to the apartment he shared with Haley to find her bags at the door and that's when she broke the news to him.

"_I've decided that I'm going to tour with Chris." Haley said nervously, unconsciously playing with her wedding band._

"_What?" asked Nathan, this was not what he was expecting to come home to. He looked around at all her packed bags and then around the apartment. Most of her things were now gone. "You're being serious?"_

_Haley nodded._

"_This is an incredible opportunity for me Nathan. This is my dream." she said._

"_I realize that Haley, but Keller? That guy is just trying to sleep with you!" Nathan said angrily. It was so obvious to him as to how transparent Chris was being, he couldn't believe that Haley was naïve enough to buy it._

"_Oh, so it has nothing to do with my talent is that what you're saying?" demanded Haley. _

"_No, I never said that, but what do you think he wants from you Hales? The guy's made it pretty obvious that he's into you." responded Nathan in a hard tone. He couldn't believe that she would leave with the same guy that had been such a thorn in their marriage._

"_Nathan, this had nothing to do with him. This about me following my dreams." Haley said, trying to convince Nathan and partially herself. She wasn't a stupid girl, she knew Chris had feelings for her and she hadn't exactly stopped him when he kissed her._

"_Oh yeah, and what about us? How would you feel if I had gone with Rachel to Europe this summer?" asked Nathan raising his voice now. _

"_That is not the same thing Nathan! Rachel doesn't play an integral part as to whether or not you make it to the NBA!" shouted Haley back. Her nostrils flared at the thought of the red headed cheerleader that went after her husband shamelessly. "Chris can open up so many doors for me, he said that depending on how well the first half of the tour goes, I could end up co headlining the rest of the tour."_

"_It is the same thing Haley, you were pissed when Rachel came on to me. You on the other hand, kissed Keller. You know how I feel about that jerk. Is it really surprising that I'm not exactly thrilled about my wife spending the entire summer with this scumbag?" retorted Nathan. "It's either him or me."_

"_Are you giving me an ultimatum? I can't believe you Nathan. I would never ask you to give up basketball for me." Haley said, her voice shaking with anger. How dare he ask her to give up her dreams, she thought to herself. "Singing and performing makes me happy Nathan, I thought you of all people would understand that."_

"_I do understand, you know I do." Nathan said, his expression softening as he saw tears sliding down Haley's face._

"_So you know why this is so important to me then." Haley pleaded Nathan to understand._

"_Yeah, I do, but that doesn't mean that I trust Keller because I don't. And honestly Hales, I don't trust the two of you together." said Nathan matter of factly. It was either him or the tour, not both. Nathan knew he wasn't being fair, it would've been like if Haley had made him choose between her and basketball but then again, neither was Haley, she was about to go off with a guy who she knew had feelings for her and he questioned what her feelings were for him. _

"_I can't believe this Nathan. You know what, fine. You're right. I don't know what my feelings are for Chris." admitted Haley. She immediately regretted saying those words once she saw the hurt look on her husbands face, but it was time that she was honest with him and herself. "Maybe everyone was right. Maybe we weren't ready to be married yet." _

_She took off her wedding ring and left._

Nathan growled in frustration. He couldn't believe his wife had left him for another man. Well, not just for another man but that's what it felt like. He was beyond hurt at this point and didn't know what to do. Nathan loved Haley with his whole being and the thought of losing her shook him at his core. Then he thought about the fact that he would be going home alone. He sighed as he didn't want to think about this anymore, it was giving him a headache. He walked over and picked up the basketball. He figured if Haley was off following her dream, he might as well be working on his.

* * *

Brooke drove aimlessly around town, her mind still reeling from everything that had just taken place. She still had no idea where she was going, she couldn't exactly go to Peyton and Rachel who was on vacation, was currently unreachable. She sighed as she realized how truly alone she was. Brooke contemplated calling her parents but knew that it really wouldn't end well and decided she would rather handle this on her own. Tears began to blur her vision as she drove by the Rivercourt. Lucas. That was always the first thing that came to her mind whenever she was there. She swallowed hard as she stared at the basketball court. She could make out a figure practicing shots in the distance. She thought back to all the times she had sat on the benches and watched Lucas play and how surprisingly she enjoyed it. Another wave of sadness washed over her as she blinked away more tears, she couldn't stay here any longer she decided, when she heard a horn blaring at her and headlights flash before her. She hadn't realized that she had drifted into the next lane. She gasped and veered her car out of harms way, narrowly avoiding the oncoming vehicle. Her heart was pounding as Brooke jerked her hand to the right, swerving off the road, and into the shoulder, slamming into the metal railing. She jerked up from her seat, hitting her head on the rear view mirror while her body projected awkwardly against her arms against the steering wheel.

"Dammit!" she cried as she gingerly rubbing her forehead. Brooke groaned as the pain stung her forehead and radiated to the back of her head and down her neck. That was for sure going to leave a mark, she thought, wincing at the pain that was now coming from her left arm. She sat in shock for a moment, her heart still beating a thousand times a minute. She took a deep breath and attempted to calm down. Her hands shook as she turned off the ignition of her car and looked out to see the damage. Brooke cringed at the sight of her crumpled hood. She took another shaky breath and leaned her forehead on the steering wheel, her head throbbing. The cool steering column felt soothing against her pulsating skull and she closed her sensitive eyes to block out the bright ray coming from the streetlamp above her and contemplated what she should do next.

The sound of a loud horn brought Nathan out of his thoughts as he directed his attention to the road. He looked up just in time to see a black truck whizzing by and a Buggy swerve into the railing off the side of the road. His eyes widened as he realized that it was Brooke's car. He immediately dropped his basketball and started making his way towards her, panicking when he didn't see her come out of the car or make any movement. He couldn't believe the jerk in the truck drove off without seeing if she was alright. Nathan crossed the court and hurried to the road, picking up speed as he went along.

"Brooke!" he yelled as he ran up to the driver side window. He panicked as he saw her not moving, laying face forward on the steering wheel. Nathan knocked on the window when she didn't respond. Slowly Brooke looked out at him, clearly disoriented. He let out a relieved breath as he opened the car door.

"Nathan?" she asked trying to focus but her head was still throbbing.

"Yeah, it's me. Are you ok?" asked Nathan concerned. He bent his knees to meet her at eye level, checking her body and face to make sure there weren't any serious injuries. He was relieved when he didn't see anything obvious, but was concerned at how out of it she was.

"I think so, I just hit my head. And my arm hurts." responded Brooke wincing as she moved her head.

"Ok, let's get you out of here." said Nathan. He reached around her small frame and tried to help her out of the car. Nathan felt her body shakily step out of the car and he picked her up when she lost her balance attempting to stand upright. "Whoa, easy there Davis, I got you."

"Thank you Nathan." Brooke said, her voice quivering a little. Her head was still spinning when she rested it on Nathan's chest. The sound of his heart pounding against his chest soothed her.

Nathan brought her over to his car and gently placed her in the passenger seat.

"I'm going to take you to the hospital to get checked out." Nathan said firmly, looking down concerned for his friend.

"No!" Brooke shook her head adamantly. "I'm fine, just a little shaken up, that's all."

Nathan gave her a sceptical look.

"I really think you should be looked at by a doctor, you're pretty out of it Davis." Nathan said unconvinced.

"No, really I'm fine Nathan." Brooke said with a little smile in hopes to sway him.

"Ok, but if you start feeling worse you have to go." Nathan reluctantly agreed. He knew there was no way to change Brooke's mind.

Brooke nodded gratefully and turned to look at her car.

"My poor car…" she groaned. She pouted as glanced over, as it looked unsalvageable to her.

"I think it looks worse than it is. You'll need a new front end and hood but I think it was the way it hit that bottom railing that caused your hood to fold up like that. But the engine and everything else seems intact and there's no fluid leaking from anywhere which is a good sign." Nathan said.

"How do you know all that?" questioned Brooke surprised at the knowledge he obtained.

"Keith and Lucas." answered Nathan simply.

Brooke sighed at the mention of her ex boyfriend's name.

"Ok, since you won't go to the hospital how bout I drive you home and we'll figure out what to with your car tomorrow." suggested Nathan as he began driving towards Lucas' house.

"No!" Brooke said abruptly, jerking in her seat. The movement caused her head to spin again, so she laid back and closed her eyes.

"What, why not?" Nathan wondered, looking over at Brooke. He studied her closely and saw the visible mark on her forehead as well as her puffy, swollen eyes and cheeks. A telltale sign of crying. He sighed and wondered what his half brother had done now.

"Lucas and I aren't together anymore. I was leaving his place when I got into the accident." Brooke said slowly. Tears slowly starting to form in her eyes as reality set in. She took a couple deep breaths and blinked away her tears.

Nathan looked at Brooke again, stunned. That was the last thing he was expecting her to say.

"Ok, well I can drive you wherever you were going. Let me guess, Peyton's" assumed Nathan.

"Ughh, no not Peyton's either." Brooke said quietly, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. "Honestly I was just driving around, I hadn't thought that far ahead yet."

Nathan eyed Brooke suspiciously, he didn't want to pry but the fact that Brooke wasn't going to Peyton's spoke volumes to him. How could anyone forget what happened when Lucas and Peyton's indiscretions were exposed. He had to wonder if something had happened again.

"You can just drop me off at the hotel Nathan, I brought…oh shit!" groaned Brooke, bringing Nathan out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" asked Nathan.

"My purse and bag are still in my car." Brooke responded apologetically. "I'll need them to check in."

"No big deal, we'll turn around and grab them." Nathan smiled. He could tell Brooke was having a hard enough time already and didn't want to add to it.

"Thanks Nate, I really appreciate everything you're doing for me." Brooke smiled back. Sure Nathan and her had known each other forever now but they weren't close friends or anything and usually he was a bit of an ass. She was surprised at how genuinely nice he was being.

Nathan nodded and turned the car around again back to the Rivercourt.

"Hey, why don't you crash at my place tonight?" suggested Nathan after a few moments of silence.

"What?" asked a surprised Brooke, giving Nathan a funny look.

"You've obviously had a rough night and the last thing you need is to be doing is staying in some hotel." reasoned Nathan. "We can stay over at my parent's beach house, there's lots of space there and it'll have everything you need."

Truthfully, Nathan was hoping that Brooke would agree, not only for her sake but for his as well. He didn't think he could go back to the apartment that he shared with his now estranged wife and it would've been nice to have the company to keep his mind off his own problems.

"Are you sure Nathan? I mean is that really a good idea considering how Haley feels about me?" asked Brooke. The idea of staying at the beach house was much more appealing than some hotel, plus she had spent many drunken nights at the beach house before and pretty much knew her way around. She was a little unsure however, as she didn't want to cause any problems between Nathan and Haley. Things were still a little tense from the sex tape incident and the last thing she wanted was to add to that.

Nathan swallowed hard. He knew that Haley would come up eventually and he also knew that he should be honest with Brooke as she was to him.

"You don't have to worry bout Haley. She took off to tour with Keller." Nathan said shortly, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"What?! You can't be serious Nathan." blinked Brooke in shock.

"True story." Nathan said bitterly, thinking back to the last conversation he had with his wife. "I came home and all her bags were packed. She didn't even talk to me about it beforehand."

"Nathan, I'm so sorry. I had no idea." sympathized Brooke, studying Nathan's face. She immediately noticed his red eyes and how exhausted he looked. She felt horrible for being wrapped up in her own problems and not noticing he wasn't himself.

"It's fine Davis, how could you have known. Looks like we both had pretty shitty days huh?" Nathan said shaking his head. "I can't go back to the apartment tonight. I was going to stay at the beach house anyway so what do you say?"

"Yeah, I'll stay with you. It'd be nice to stay with a friend instead of being alone in a hotel." agreed Brooke getting the hint that he didn't want to elaborate on the Haley situation. She didn't realize then just how much they needed each other. She was so grateful to Nathan for helping her even in the midst of his own problems. She slowly reached over and took Nathan's hand from the steering wheel and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you, for everything." Brooke said sincerely.

"No problem." replied Nathan, smiling back at the brunette. They drove the rest of the way in silence, both wrapped up in their own thoughts of what had taken place that evening but also with a new found understanding for the other.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hi everyone!! I hope you're all enjoying my new story. I'm still currently working on my other two stories but then this idea popped into my head and I had to get it down. I have a general idea of where I want the story to go but as always I love hearing from you guys. Let me know what you think, what you like, dislike and any suggestions that you may have! In this story, Lucas isn't the bad guy like he is in my other two. Thought I'd try something different. _

_I would like to thank everyone for reviewing, adding my story to their alerts/faves. Please keep them coming!_

_Thank you to **dianehermans**, **ILoveSarahSophia, fggt16, Mony19, bdavisrulz, Love me some Julian, Treenuh, iheartbrookedavis and sobreyra274 **for reviewing!! _

_dianehermans- sorry to hear that you're not feeling the story. Thank you for reviewing and your kind words about my writing, I know not everyone is a huge Brathan fan like me! lol_

_ILoveSarahSophia- thank you for reviewing the chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying the concept for this one! It's a little different than my other stories, but here's chapter 2, I hope you like it!_

_fggt16- here's the next one! hope you like it! Thanks for reviewing!_

_Mony19- I also love Brathan fics! I'm hoping to go with the momentum from chapter one, so here's chapter two. Let me know what you think!_

_bdavisrulz- I'm glad you're intrigued! This one has a different dynamic than the other two stories I'm writing, I hope you enjoy it as well! Hope you like Chapter two!_

_Love me some Julian- Thanks so much for reviewing! I love hearing your suggestions and feedback! Lucas isn't the bad guy this time! lol, yay! I'm thinking maybe a little bit of a triangle but not sure with who yet..._

_Treenuh- Thanks for the review! I hope that you enjoy this next chapter! Let me know what you think_

_iheartbrookedavis- I'm so glad you liked the first chapter! I also love Brathan! Here's the next one, hope you like it!! _

_sobreyra274- thank you for your review, I love hearing from you. Don't worry, they will get together eventually but of course there will be some drama that comes along with it but I hope you stick with it and enjoy this next chapter!_

_Leni  
_

Chapter 2:

"So you gonna tell me what happened?" asked Nathan placing a beer in front of Brooke and took the seat across from her at the table.

"What do you wanna know?" asked Brooke putting the cold bottle on her forehead, soothing the sore spot before taking a sip.

Nathan and Brooke had arrived at the beach house a short while ago and had both showered and changed. They were both tired but too restless to sleep when Nathan decided to he needed nachos and beer, lots of beer. They were both feeling a little tipsy after finishing three beers each and working on the fourth.

"Well, I'm assuming something happened with Peyton since you're here with me and not at her house. I mean, I know I'm hot but…" smirked Nathan, trying to lighten the mood a bit before delving into a serious conversation.

"Whatever Scott! You practically begged me to come over remember?" retorted Brooke taking a bite of her nachos. She sighed and took another sip of her beer before her face turned serious. "We're going to need something a little stronger than beer if we're gonna get into this."

"No problem." nodded Nathan as he went to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Jag and two shot glasses. He filled the glasses with the dark liquid and slid one of them over to Brooke. "Go."

"Peyton told me she's in love with Lucas today." blurted Brooke before taking the shot. She like the way that the liquor burned on the way down her throat and into her stomach. She reached for her beer to chase the heavy taste of the Jag. Oh yeah, she thought to herself, she's definitely going to be drunk after this.

"She what?" Nathan almost spit out his beer. He stared at Brooke surprised to say the least.

"Yeah…tell me bout it." Brooke rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help smiling at the funny look at Nathan's face. "Go."

"Haley kissed Keller." Nathan revealed downing the shot quickly and making a face right after. "I hate this stuff."

"What? No!" Brooke said shocked, mirroring Nathan's previous expression.

Nathan grimly nodded, refilling the shot glasses and handed one back to Brooke. "Go."

"Lucas kissed Peyton again." Brooke slurred slightly, feeling her cheeks flush as she took another shot. "Go."

"Haley thinks she has feelings for Chris." Nathan chuckled bitterly taking his second shot. He was definitely starting to feel the effects of the beer and Jag at this point.

Brooke and Nathan sat in silence momentarily, allowing the alcohol to take its effect and let what the other revealed to sink in fully. Nathan couldn't believe what Brooke told him, she had been betrayed by her best friend and boyfriend again. It was pretty harsh in his opinion. He couldn't imagine how Brooke was feeling at the moment. Nathan was beyond hurt and bitter at this point after being hurt by the one person he loved the most, he couldn't fathom what it felt like to be hurt by the two people you loved and trusted most. No wonder Brooke felt so alone. He looked up in time to see Brooke attempt to hide her tears from him.

"Wow, what did Peyton have to say for herself?" inquired Nathan, handing Brooke a tissue.

"Thanks, I couldn't believe what she told me, I left before she really had a chance to say anything except that she's sorry and never wanted to hurt me." explained Brooke, drying her eyes. "Then I started thinking about what I should say to Lucas when I got home but before I got a chance to tell him, he told me he had kissed her again. It feels like I'm stuck here in this cycle and I can't change what's going to happen again."

"I'm sorry Brooke." Nathan said sincerely. He felt for the brunette sitting across from him. She looked exhausted and her eyes were vacant. In their entire friendship, not once had he seen Brooke this way and it worried him. "When did he kiss her?"

Aside from shock, Nathan was also confused, for the last few months Lucas had been going on and on about how much he wanted to be with Brooke and how much he loved her. He couldn't believe that Lucas would've gone behind her back and kissed Peyton again. It just didn't make sense.

"It was during the shooting." replied Brooke. "After Peyton was shot, they thought she was dying and apparently she asked him for 'one last kiss'. And Lucas, with his weird Peyton hero complex, obliged."

She shook her head, thinking back to when she found Lucas sitting with Peyton in the hospital, holding her hand to his face. How she was so blind, she'll never know.

"Now I look back at all the times I found them together...it just seems so obvious now. I feel so stupid for believing him when he told me he loved me." Brooke sobbed, looking down as she felt tears once again prick her eyes and run down her cheeks.

"Brooke, I know he loves you. You're all he's been talking for the last few months. He was so happy when you agreed to give him another chance." Nathan said hoping he could comfort her a little bit. "Luke, he's just always screwing up when it comes to you but I know he loves you."

Brooke looked up and met Nathan's eyes briefly.

"Well, that doesn't change that fact that I can't trust him." Brooke said bitterly now, drying her eyes once more. They were really starting to hurt at this point. "As much as I love him and want to believe him, I can't. I can't trust him or Peyton. I refuse to. You don't do that to someone you claim to love."

"I'm with you on that, what happened is completely fucked. And I'd be just as angry about it as you." agreed Nathan. He shook his head at the whole situation. It surprised him, how both Lucas and Haley could do something like that, it definitely wasn't in their nature, most people would expect this sort of thing from Brooke or himself.

"I'll kick his ass for you if you want." Nathan joked. Though he was only half joking. It pissed him off that his half brother had hurt Brooke so much. And they say I'm the asshole, Nathan thought to himself.

Brooke laughed, glad to know she still could. She was tired of being upset and mad, this just wasn't her. She was grateful to Nathan for listening and trying to make her feel better. Brooke had rarely been privy to this side of him before but she appreciated it. It was nice to know someone cared about how she felt.

"Thanks Scott, I might take you up on that offer!" laughed Brooke.

Nathan grinned, glad to hear her laugh. He picked up the empty plate and brought them to the kitchen.

"Do you have any ice cream?" Brooke yelled from the table. She sighed as she thought about the next time she'd see Lucas or Peyton. Thank God it's summer and there's no school tomorrow, she thought to herself. She decided that she would go collect the rest of her things from Lucas' house and find a more permanent place to stay instead. Brooke told herself that she was not going to think about it any longer that night. She was going to try to make the best of the situation. Sure, she knew it wasn't ideal but she didn't want to impose her problems on Nathan any longer, especially since he had his own shit to deal with. No, for now she will drown herself in ice cream…if Nathan had any that was.

"Does Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough work for you?" asked Nathan reappearing from the kitchen with two extremely big bowls of ice cream.

"Ooh, yes it does!" Brooke grinned reaching for the bowl. "So what's your story? Since I've told you all the sordid details of my night."

"Well, I already told you that Haley left to tour with Chris." sighed Nathan. "But I never told you that she thinks that maybe everyone was right and rushed into getting married. She even left her ring. I guess it's really over."

"Shut up!" Brooke said wide eyed. She froze with her spoon still partially in her mouth, her eyes widening in shock. She was surprised to say the least, she never thought Haley had it in her to do anything like that. Brooke watched as Nathan shrugged and took a sip of his beer.

"Eww, beer and ice cream Nate?" criticized Brooke with a disgusted look on her face.

Nathan gave her an unimpressed look and continued drinking his beer.

"Sorry, sorry…ok, focus." Brooke slurred to herself. She thought about what Nathan just told her and thought about her own situation with Lucas and Peyton. Who would've thought that she would be sitting here, having a broken hearted pow wow with Nathan. Brooke felt for him, she knew how much he loved Haley and she was outraged that Haley would pull such an idiotic move but she tried to think rationally so she could give him the best advice possible. She considered her next words to Nathan carefully before saying them.

"Well, Nathan we are young. We're teenagers, but she should've thought about that before she agreed to marry you. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't excuse her from what she did. It was incredibly selfish but there's nothing you can do about it. The question is what are you going to do now? Personally, I think you deserve better, you're great guy." Brooke said pausing to look at Nathan seriously. "But that's not the point, the point is that if her hearts not in it, you're wouldn't have been happy even if she stayed. Take it from someone who knows. That's exactly what happened with me and Lucas, I tried so hard to hang on to him but in the end it just didn't feel right."

Nathan nodded as he let Brooke's words sink in. He knew she was a little drunk but she still made sense.

"And you know that with our history, I'm the last person that would defend Haley, so trust me when I tell you that you wouldn't have been happy." said Brooke. She knew Haley never thought she was good enough for Lucas but now after the stunt she pulled with Nathan, Brooke had no problem taking the tutor down a notch. The truth was neither Haley or Brooke gave each other a chance. To Haley, Brooke was the slutty cheerleader who didn't deserve her best friend and made a sex tape with her husband. To Brooke, Haley was the judgemental goody two shoes who had no idea how to dress herself. Despite all that, they had managed to remain civil, out of respect for Lucas and Nathan.

"Thanks Davis. It's shitty to hear right now, but I know you're right. Who knew you were so insightful?" joked Nathan, giving Brooke a genuine smile. He surprised himself, he was expecting to be angry and upset but when he was talking to Brooke, he didn't feel any of those things. Instead, he felt hopeful that it wasn't the end of his world and she showed him that even though things seem like they're falling apart you still have to persevere through it. He admired how strong she was being through the whole Lucas and Peyton situation. It reassured him knowing that there was someone who understood where he was coming from and the emotions he was feeling, it helped, a lot. Sure their situations were a little different, it was still nice to know there was someone there.

"Don't let the glitter and pom poms fool you, Hot Shot. I'm actually the smartest person you'll ever meet!" winked Brooke. She finished off the last of her ice cream and gave him a satisfied smile. She reached across the table for Nathan's empty bowl and along with hers, brought it to the dishwasher. She heard Nathan get up from the table and follow her into the kitchen. Brooke turned around to see Nathan standing against the wall watching her. "What? Something on my face?"

Nathan chuckled and took two strides into the kitchen to reach her, enveloping her in an unexpected hug.

"Thanks Davis, I needed this tonight." Nathan said quietly into her hair.

"Hey, I should be thanking you, you've done so much for me tonight. I really appreciate it Nathan." Brooke said, caught off guard at first, but she quickly wrapping her arms around his waist before pulling away to look at him. She noted the sadness prevalent in his eyes, though he was trying to hide it with a weak smile.

"Look at us." Nathan sighed. "We're pretty pathetic right now."

"Yeah, we are." agreed Brooke raising both her eyebrows and looking away. Then she looked up at Nathan with a smirk, surprising him.

"But we have got to be the hottest pathetic people around." Brooke said confidently.

"Well, that's a given." smirked Nathan as turned around and wrapped his arm around Brooke's shoulder, directing them out of the kitchen. "Come on Davis, let me walk you to your room."

* * *

As soon as Brooke walked into the guest room, she noticed her phone flashing at her indicating she had messages. She let out a deep sigh as she pulled her phone out of her purse and hesitantly lit up the screen. Fifteen missed calls, nine new text messages and six voicemails, all from Lucas and Peyton. Brooke pursed her lips together, debating what she should do. She decided that she couldn't handle nor wanted to hear either Lucas or Peyton's voice or read their apologies over texts. She closed her phone and turned it off.

She sat down on the king sized bed and stared aimlessly around the room, her head spinning a bit from the alcohol. Then suddenly it hit her, tears flooded her eyes and sobs raked her body as she shook uncontrollably. Brooke shakily brought her hand to mouth in attempt to silent herself as her breathing became sharp intakes of air. The last thing she wanted was for Nathan to hear her. It was like the magnitude of all of the evenings events finally hit her. Peyton's words, Lucas' confession about the kiss, the shock from her car accident, and the ridiculous amount of alcohol, it was too overwhelming. Her heart actually hurt and the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach returned as she tried to swallow her sobs. Her tears flowed freely down her face and on to her bare thighs as her mind was bombarded with memories of better times with Lucas and Peyton. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that Nathan was knocking on the door and had let himself in.

"Brooke." Nathan said gently as he sat down beside her on the bed. "It's ok, come here."

He sighed and pulled Brooke into his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on the top of her head as he felt her tears soak through his shirt.

"It's going to be ok Brooke." soothed Nathan, rubbing her back. Shit, he thought to himself, now is not the best time to tell her I spoke to Lucas.

Nathan was plugging his phone in for the night when he saw that Lucas had called him and left messages about not being able to reach Haley either. Nathan shook his bitterly at the thought of her. He felt bad for his brother, he did, because Nathan knew that Lucas really did love Brooke. But after everything Brooke told him tonight, he couldn't side with Lucas. After all his declarations of love for Brooke, he went behind her back and kissed Peyton. Nathan still couldn't believe it, it was such a fucked up situation. He decided he would let Lucas stew in his own misery for the night, until he heard Lucas' second frantic message. Apparently, Lucas had gone to the Rivercourt and found Brooke's car there, empty. Nathan reluctantly called Lucas back and told him what happened in a nut shell.

"_Why didn't you call me sooner?" demanded Lucas after Nathan informed him that Brooke was fine._

"_She didn't want me to. She was pretty shaken up." replied Nathan into the phone. He sighed and walked over to the bed and sat down, he had a feeling this conversation might take a while._

"_How is she? Is she hurt?" Lucas asked frantic at this point. He felt responsible for Brooke's accident and all he wanted to do was hold her and protect her from everything, even though he knew he was the cause of her pain in the first place._

"_Well, she refused to let me take her to the hospital but aside from a pretty nasty bump on her forehead and a sore arm, she seems ok, well physically, anyway." said Nathan._

"_Where is she now?" Lucas inquired, choosing to ignore Nathan's last comment._

"_She's here with me, we're staying at the beach house tonight." answered Nathan reluctantly. He didn't want to tell Lucas that Brooke was staying with him as it would lead to questions about Haley. And he was right._

"_So you, Haley and Brooke are at the beach house…" started Lucas, sounding confused. _

"_Ahh, it's just me and Brooke." said Nathan, holding his breath in anticipation to Lucas' reaction._

"_What? Where's Haley? Does she know you're with Brooke?" Lucas fired. He was confused and a little pissed at the fact that Nathan and Brooke were alone in the beach house. He knew that Haley would not like that, since that's where their sex tape was made and because Lucas knew it was still a sore point for Haley._

"_Actually, no she doesn't." Nathan revealed shortly. He really didn't want to get into it anymore and was hoping to avoid it._

"_Well, don't you think you should tell your wife Nate? She's probably wondering where you are. You're such an ass sometimes, you know how Haley feels about Brooke and the sex tape-" Lucas started to rant when Nathan cut him off._

"_She's gone. She left to tour with Keller for the summer and she left me. So to answer your question, no she has no fucking idea that I'm with Brooke. As for you calling me an asshole, I think that title belongs to you tonight, big brother." sneered Nathan venomously into the phone. "You're becoming more and more like Dan everyday."_

_Nathan knew it was a low blow but he didn't care, why should he? Lucas really didn't have any right to judge him when he had no idea what happened between himself and Haley. And after the way he hurt Brooke, Lucas should be the last person preaching about how to treat your significant other._

"_Nathan, you have no idea what you're talking about." Lucas said firmly, trying to remain calm. "I'm coming to get her, she's not staying with you."_

"_Oh no you're not. You're an idiot if you think that she's going anywhere with you. I'm assuming you called me because you couldn't get hold of her, well that's because she doesn't want to speak to you." said Nathan sternly. "Look, she's really upset right now and hurt. You just need to leave her alone for a while."_

_Lucas was taken a back. He was surprised to hear that Nathan seemed to care, but then again, he knew that they were friends, somewhat. Lucas also felt a twinge of jealousy that it was his brother that Brooke had turned to in her time of need. Then he mind wandered to their sex tape and quickly became angry at the possibility of Brooke and Nathan sleeping together again._

"_Since when did you have Brooke's best interests at heart?" muttered Lucas, his mind still reeling at the thought of Brooke and Nathan. They were both hurt and upset, it could easily happen in Lucas' mind._

"_Well someone has to since you've become preoccupied with Peyton again. You're such a hypocrite." retorted Nathan angrily. "Whatever Luke, she's fine, that's all you need to know."_

"_And you need to stay away from her. You're right, she's hurt right now so you better not try taking advantage of that." warned Lucas._

"_You're a fucking idiot!" Nathan growled into the phone. "Just because you're ok with screwing Brooke over, doesn't mean I am."_

_Nathan abruptly hung up the phone and turned it off. He couldn't believe that Lucas tried to accuse of taking advantage of Brooke. It was the furthest thing on his mind, though he couldn't really blame Lucas for thinking that way. Nathan sighed as he realized that if this had been a year ago, he and Brooke probably would've been sleeping together that night. But they had both grown and changed a lot since then. They were different people now, Nathan fell in love with Haley and Brooke with Lucas. It was hard to believe that after all this time Lucas still had no clue about Brooke._

"I'm sorry Nathan." Brooke whispered, bringing Nathan out of his thoughts.

"You don't have to apologize. It's been a rough night." Nathan said as he continued to rub her back. "And I might have just made it worse."

"What? Why?" asked Brooke, pulling away and looking inquisitively into Nathan's eyes.

"I spoke to Lucas." said Nathan, searching Brooke's face for a reaction. He saw the hurt flash in her eyes upon the mention of his brother's name.

"What did he want?" asked Brooke softly, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"He found your car at the Rivercourt and he was freaking out, so I called him back and told him what happened." explained Nathan.

Brooke nodded, now understanding why there were so many calls and messages from Lucas. She felt a twinge of guilt creep up as the thought of Lucas finding her car had never occurred to her. But then her guilt dissipated as she thought about why she was driving by the Rivercourt in the first place. No, this time she was not at fault and she refused to have the blame shifted to her. Maybe it was the booze, but whatever it was, it was giving Brooke the backbone she needed to not succumb to Lucas.

"He's worried about you Brooke." said Nathan. He chose to omit the details of their little tiff about Nathan trying to take advantage of Brooke, Nathan didn't think it was really going to help the situation. "Maybe you should call him just to let him know you're ok."

"No." Brooke slightly slurred, shaking her head adamantly. "You already told him I was fine. I really just need to make a clean break this time. No more calling, sexting, talking, nothing."

"Oh come on Brooke, sexting? Didn't need to hear that about you and my brother." groaned Nathan laying back on the mattress and tossing a pillow at Brooke's head.

"Hey!" laughed Brooke, hitting Nathan in the face with the same pillow. "Ok, sorry, no more talk about sexting Lucas!"

"Anyway, I think you're making the right decision." stated Nathan. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Actually, I do need one more favour." Brooke smiled sweetly at Nathan.

"Jeez, Davis I was just trying to be polite, I wasn't actually serious!" joked Nathan, taking the pillow from his face and placing it under his head.

"Nate…" laughed Brooke, tugging his arm gently. "Please? I know you wanna."

"I guess, what do you need now Davis?" Nathan sighed with a grin to indicate he was joking.

"Do you think you can take me to Lucas' tomorrow so I can get the rest of my things?" asked Brooke, plopping herself down on to the mattress beside Nathan.

"And, I'm gonna need a ride around town cuz I have to look for somewhere to stay." added Brooke giggling as she stole the pillow from underneath Nathan's head and placing it under her own. "And I'll need you to help carry my stuff."

"You sure are high maintenance." teased Nathan, stealing the pillow back from Brooke. "I suppose I don't have a choice in the matter."

Nathan knew that he should go with Brooke, not only as support but also as a physical buffer between her and Lucas if he happened to be there when they showed up. Nathan didn't want to see Brooke hurt more than she already was.

"Nope." laughed Brooke, her head still a little bubby from the alcohol. "Wow, I'm impressed Scott, you learn quick. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Nathan just laughed and shook his head. He reached beside him to grab the other pillow and handed it to Brooke before closing his eyes. The mix of alcohol, and the nights events had left him exhausted. He was just about to doze off when Brooke's voice woke up him fully again.

"Nathan?" called out Brooke.

"Mmm hmm?" responded Nathan, turning over to find Brooke looking at him with bright eyes and a devilish smile on her face.

"I'm drunk." she laughed, her voice raspy. She slid up close to him, entwining her arms around his, leaned her head on his shoulder and draped a leg on his stomach, essentially using him as a human pillow.

"You're crazy Davis." Nathan smiled, but he couldn't help but laugh at the pretty brunette who had herself comfortable on him was now lightly snoring.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi Everyone!_

_Just wanted to thank everyone for taking their time to read and review! I love hearing from you and I take what you have to say into serious consideration! Thanks a bunch! I'll keep this short, but basically here's the next chapter and I have a general idea of where I want this story to go but am totally open to any suggestions! Here's the next chapter!_

_Enjoy!_

_Leni_

_Fggt16- As always, thanks for reviewing! There's definitely more Brathan in this next chapter and a little Lucas/Peyton as well. Hope you like it!_

_Mony19- Thanks for the review__, I'm glad you liked Nathan standing up for Brooke, and I'm trying to build a nice friendship before putting Nathan and Brooke together, hope it's translating! Enjoy chapter 3!_

_Bdavisrulz- I'm glad you're liking the story so far! Nathan in this one isn't as big of an ass as he was on the show, but he's got attitude that's for sure! There will be a lot more Brathan in the upcoming chapters! Thanks for reviewing!_

_lessonsxlearned- Thanks for reading and reviewing! I was the same as you, looking for new pairings and I fell in love with Brathan! I'm glad you like the story, hope you like the next chapter!_

_Darkshadowarchfiend- I also love Nathan and Brooke! Thanks for your review! Here's chapter 3!_

_DivineAngel143- Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm happy that you're enjoying the story so far, I hope you like this chapter as well!! Thank you for your review!_

_Jessica4695- Thanks for the review! And there will for sure be more Nathan/Brooke/Lucas issues coming up soon!! Hope you like chapter 3!_

_Sobreyra274- Thank you as always for your review and support! Lucas and Haley are still gonna be a source of drama for Nathan and Brooke, so be ready! Tons of drama to come!! I hope you like this next one!_

Chapter 3:

Nathan walked down the hall to the kitchen, surprised to find Brooke up so early searching the cabinets.

"You're up early." Nathan said taking a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen. He ran his hand through his hair before stretching. His eyes naturally wondered over to Brooke's backside as she stood on her tip toes looking for…who knew what, and frankly Nathan didn't care, he was preoccupied with how nice her ass looked in her night shorts.

"Yeah, I woke up with a ridiculous headache and I was hungry." informed Brooke. When she woke up, she had almost forgotten where she was. There was a strong body next to her but it was unfamiliar. Slowly the memories of the previous night came back to her, reminding her why she was with Nathan. She carefully got up not to disturb Nathan and went in search of breakfast and Advil.

Nathan stepped out of his chair and quickly found the Advil and pulled out some cereal. He poured two bowls and filled them with milk, bringing it over to the island for them. He handed Brooke the Advil and a glass of water before sitting down for his breakfast. Surprisingly, Nathan wasn't hung over at all that morning.

"Thanks Nate." Brooke said after swallowing the two pills. She couldn't believe it was only 7 am and that she was up that early. She was dreading going back to Lucas' but she knew she had to get the rest of her things. Brooke figured if she went there around 8, Lucas would be off for a jog or at the cafe with his mom for breakfast.

"No problem, so what's the plan today?" inquired Nathan, he had already finished his first bowl of cereal and was now making his way to the counter for a refill.

"Well I guess I should get my stuff and then I gotta figure something out with my car." Brooke's head hurt at the thought of all the other things she had to do, like find a place to stay and a car to use in the meantime. "Ugh, let's just start with that."

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out." reassured Nathan digging into his second bowl of cereal.

Brooke looked at him, she was perplexed by how genuinely nice he was being. It didn't seem like the Nathan Scott she had known practically her whole life. The Nathan she knew was arrogant, intimidating, cocky as hell and an ass. He was hot and he knew it. The guy sitting beside her was hardly recognizable, not that she was complaining, she was just pleasantly surprised.

"What? You're staring Davis." smirked Nathan, eyeing Brooke back. She was beautiful, even with messy hair and no makeup. She was naturally gorgeous, any warm blooded male would agree. And after the previous night, Nathan found himself seeing her in a different light. Brooke had always been the popular, hot, bubbly yet bitchy cheerleader that girls envied and loved. To see her vulnerable side was intriguing and it made him want to shield her from it all. This was not what Nathan was expecting. She was even more beautiful to him now, if that was at all possible.

"Who's staring now?" smirked Brooke, raising her eyebrow and tilting her head to one side. She licked the back of her spoon seductively for effect as she saw Nathan follow her tongue with his eyes, before breaking into a laugh. "Guys are so easy."

"Whatever Davis, you wish." Nathan swallowed hard, her laugh bringing him out of his trance. He turned his focus back to his breakfast as he inhaled her scent when she walked past him.

"Well, I'm gonna get ready while you finish your cereal." said Brooke, bringing her bowl to the sink. She gave him one last dazzling Brooke Davis smile before bouncing down the hallway.

Nathan found himself unable to look away as her hips swayed as her figured disappeared into the bathroom. He quickly shook his head at his inappropriate thoughts and tried to focus on his cereal.

* * *

"You want me to come in with you?" asked Nathan as he pulled into Lucas' driveway. He looked over at Brooke, who had become progressively quieter as they drew closer to her former home. She looked tense and unsure.

"Yeah." nodded Brooke. She sighed heavily and slowly opened the door to Nathan's car. She waited for Nathan to come up beside her before proceeding to the front door. She took out her key and let them in.

"Usually Lucas is out by now, so I'll just grab my things and we'll go. I'll drop my key off to Karen later." said Brooke, leading them up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened the door to her bedroom and it felt like another life.

There were pictures of her with Peyton and Lucas scattered all over the room. Her bed was unmade with her purple sheets askew and there was makeup and clothing all over. Brooke quickly went to her closet and took out her suitcases and started throwing everything she could get her hands on into them. She felt Nathan come up behind her and reach for one of the bags and started to help her pack her things. Brooke gave him a grateful smile as she moved to her vanity to pack her makeup.

She opened the drawer and took a sharp breath. She pulled out a dark, bound leather notebook. She had bought it a while back and was going to surprise Lucas with it as she knew how much he loved writing. She sighed as leafed through the empty pages. Brooke didn't really see the point in taking it with her as she was not much of a writer and it would be a constant reminder of Lucas. She decided to leave it for him. She put it back down and continued to pack her things.

"Hey, I'm going to bring these down to the car." Nathan interrupted her thoughts. Brooke turned around to see that Nathan had already packed almost all her things into the suitcase and duffel bags.

"Ok, thanks Nate, I should be done when you get back." said Brooke, turning back to the vanity. She finished packing up the rest of her things when her eyes fell on the bound book again. She sighed and sat down taking the book in her hands. She debated again whether or not she should take it with her but in the end decided not to. She took out a pen and wrote an inscription on the front page for Lucas.

"_Lucas,_

_When I found this notebook, I thought of you. It's strong, masculine and beautiful all at once. You are an amazing writer and I hope this will help you collect all your thoughts and inspirations._

_Love, _

_Brooke"_

Brooke took a deep breath and reread her inscription before closing it. She got up with her last suitcase and the book in hand, walked to the doorway. She took one last look at her former room before closing the door behind her. She hesitantly walked down the hall way towards Lucas' bedroom. She planned to leave the notebook for him on his desk. As she approached his door, she felt a flood of emotions. She was never going to walk through this door to greet Lucas after school, or to harass him for a sweater or just go cuddle up to him after a bad day. Brooke wondered if she really had made the right decision after all. Was she really ready to let him go? Things had been going so well up until this point.

She shook her head of those thoughts and Brooke reminded herself that things weren't great between them. He had kissed Peyton again and kept it from her. She swallowed hard and put her hand on the familiar doorknob and gently turned it open. What she saw on the other side of the door shook her to her core.

There they were, Peyton and Lucas, curled beside each other in his bed, sleeping. Her eyes widened, shocked and speechless, Brooke was unable to move. The leather book fell from her hands with a thump, bouncing off the hardwood floor. Lucas woke from his slumber and came face to face with Brooke, whose tears had now spilled down her face.

"Brooke!" Lucas said alarmed. He looked over at Peyton, who was now also starting to wake up and jumped out of the bed as if it was fire.

"Luke?" asked Peyton groggily, brushing her blonde curls out of her face and sitting up to see Brooke staring back at her. "Brooke!"

"This is not what it looks like, I swear!" insisted Lucas frantically, making his way towards Brooke.

Brooke continued to stand there, every time she opened her mouth to say something, nothing came out. She literally felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach. She looked at Lucas accusingly and shook her head at him.

"Brooke, please, nothing happened." Peyton explained as she tried to get out of the bed. She only had on one of Lucas' shirts. "I came over to explain what happened and I found Lucas freaking out about your car-"

"So you decided to comfort him? Is that what happened Peyton?" snapped Brooke sarcastically as she eyed the shirt that Peyton was wearing.

"Nothing happened Brooke, you have to believe me." pleaded Lucas, he searched Brooke's eyes and all he saw was pain. He could see her heart breaking in front of him, all because of him and Peyton.

"Just shut up!" yelled Brooke, her lip trembling as she spoke. She angrily wiped the tears from her face and glared at Lucas. "You couldn't have waited until I moved out before getting her into you bed!?"

"It wasn't like that, Brooke please. Just let me explain." Lucas begged. He needed her to know that he hadn't betrayed her, he knew how bad it must've looked. He walked up to Brooke and took her hand. "Please, just give me a minute."

Brooke jerked her hand away and stepped back.

"Fine, you have a minute to explain." challenged Brooke, crossing her arms. "Explain to me how you were so worried about my safety that you ended up in bed with my best friend. Please Lucas, I'd love to hear it."

"Hey Davis, you ready?" called Nathan from the stairs. He walked into the hallway and was surprised to hear all the commotion. He made his way over to Lucas' room to see Brooke, Lucas and Peyton in mid stand off. "Whoa. Ok..."

"You made it back just in time Nate, Lucas was about to explain to me how he was so worried about me last night that he ended up in bed with my best friend." Brooke said sarcastically, not taking her eyes off Lucas once.

"Brooke, we were just talking and we fell asleep." started Lucas, his face contorted with regret. He knew how hurtful it must've been for Brooke to find him in bed with Peyton. "She was already here when I got back from the Rivercourt and I told her about finding your car…God, Brooke are you ok?"

Lucas took a step closer to Brooke, examining for any physical injuries. He immediately found the bump on her forehead.

"I'm fine, just finish what you have to say so I can leave." Brooke said shortly.

"I was coming by to see you." Peyton piped up. "No one was here, so I decided to wait and then Lucas came back. We started talking about what happened and we were both worried about you. I tried calling and texting you…"

"Just stop!" Brooke said abruptly. "I don't want to hear anymore. This is pathetic, how can you two stand here telling me that you were thinking of me when I just walked in on the two of you in bed together!"

"Nothing happened Brooke." Peyton said tearfully.

"But you wanted it to." Brooke accused, her voice raspy and shaky. "And don't try to deny it, you're in his bed with just his shirt on and you tell me nothing happened? Something already happened, something happened when you chose to tell me you were in love with Lucas, something happened when you asked Lucas to kiss you one…last…time."

"Brooke, please, we have to get past this." tried Peyton again, desperate for Brooke to forgive her. "We have been through so much together, I forgave you for sleeping with Nathan-"

Brooke's eyes flashed with anger, she couldn't believe that Peyton was bartering for forgiveness by using the sex tape with Nathan against her.

"Yeah and I forgave you and Lucas the first time around too." Brooke retorted. "I can't believe you would bring that up right now. What does that say about our relationship Peyton?"

The tears stung her face before she even realized they were there. She shook her head, unable to say anything else. She knew now that neither her relationship with Peyton or Lucas could be salvaged. There had been too much betrayal, too much pain, and there would be no way to restore any form of trust at this point. She closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions when she felt a strong arm around her shoulders. Brooke looked up to see Nathan reach for her suitcase and the notebook she had dropped.

"Come on, let's go." Nathan said tightly. He handed her the notebook and lifted her suitcase.

He felt a little uncomfortable when Peyton brought up the sex tape. He knew that his relationship with Peyton was unhealthy and dysfunctional but he knew what he had done with Brooke was wrong. He really didn't want to be reminded of how he used to be. Everything had changed for him when he met Haley. Gone was the cocky attitude, well for the most part, and the arrogance. She taught him to about forgiveness, selflessness but most importantly Haley showed him compassion. The person he was when he made that sex tape was a different person than he was today. And Nathan also knew this was true for Brooke as well. Meeting Lucas had prompted the evolution of Brooke Davis, rather it was from his love or his betrayal, Lucas had forever changed Brooke from being this materialistic, slutty girl into the girl she was meant to be, a kinder, loyal more toned down version of her previous self. It was just sad that the two people who were suppose to love her most still couldn't see the person Brooke had become. The fact that Peyton would bring up their sex tape now proved to Nathan that she had no idea who Brooke was anymore.

Brooke looked down at the bound book and took a deep breath, nodding at Nathan.

"This is for you. I was going to leave it on your desk for you, that's why I came in here." Brooke said in a raspy whisper. She looked at Lucas in the eyes one last time and handed him the leather notebook. Brooke wordlessly glanced at Peyton, the hurt evident in her eyes and walked out of the room with Nathan following closely behind her.

"Brooke! Wait!" yelled Lucas trying to catch Brooke from leaving him for the second day in a row. He followed them out of the room, hurrying down the hallway to catch Brooke. He was stopped at the top of the stairway by Nathan.

"Just leave her alone." Nathan said sternly, holding Lucas back gently from descending the stairs.

"Nathan, let go of me, I have to talk to her." pleaded Lucas. He looked down the stairs for any sign of Brooke but she was nowhere to be seen. He could only assume that she had gotten into the car already.

"Look, I know you wanna talk to her right now but she doesn't want to." sighed Nathan, he felt for Lucas, he could see the regret and concern in his older brother's eyes.

"Luke, man, what were you thinking in there?" asked Nathan as he gestured towards Lucas' bedroom where Peyton was still residing.

"I don't know…she was here when I got home." Lucas responded exasperated. He rubbed his face with his hand as he thought about how he got himself in this situation.

"Yeah, I already know that part, but you never explained why she's in your bed with just your shirt on." pressed Nathan, shaking his head at how dense Lucas was being. Than again, he was probably avoiding explaining that for a reason, Nathan rationed.

Lucas looking down to avoid meeting Nathan's intense stare spoke volumes to the younger Scott. Nathan sighed, understanding that something had happened between Lucas and Peyton the night before. Maybe not something physical, but something.

"Lucas, you're my brother but you fucked up this time. Do you know how much you've hurt Brooke? Do you know that she spent all last night crying over you because she loves you?" asked Nathan, extremely disappointed at Lucas. He thought that Brooke meant more to Lucas but apparently he was wrong. "Brooke needs a friend right now and that's what I'm going to be because she needs someone on her side. And I don't want to hear anymore shit from you about me and Brooke."

With that Nathan walked away, leaving Lucas to ponder how things got so messed up and Peyton who was now leaning against the doorframe, regretting everything she had done. Peyton had been ready to defend her actions to her former best friend but as soon as she saw the hurt on Brooke's face, none of those reasons seemed valid anymore.

* * *

Nathan sporadically threw concerned looks towards Brooke as he drove back to the beach house to pick up the rest of her things. She had been silent and expressionless since he had got into the car. It made Nathan nervous to see Brooke so quiet. No matter what, whether she was happy, sad or upset she was never so silent. She would've been talking excitedly, crying or emotional or yelling mad, but never so stoic. Brooke just stared out the window the remainder of the drive, not saying a single word the entire time.

"Why don't you stay with me for a while?" asked Nathan, breaking the silence. In his mind, he had decided that Brooke was probably best off staying with him at the apartment until things calmed down a bit. His suggestion wasn't without selfish reasons either though, it would be nice to have someone at the apartment with him so that his own loneliness wouldn't consume him.

"What?" Brooke said startled by Nathan's voice breaking into her thoughts.

"I asked if you want to stay at the apartment with me, just until things settle. That way you don't have to worry about finding somewhere to stay right away. You've already got lots going on, it'll be one less thing to think about." rationed Nathan. "And, I could use the company. I don't know if you heard, but I'm sort of short a roommate."

Brooke considered Nathan's offer, she knew that everything that he said was valid and it would've been nice to not have to worry about finding a place of her own. Especially since she still had to deal with her car and she really didn't have anything furniture wise with her. She just had her personal belongings.

"That'd be great Nate. Thank you." Brooke agreed, giving Nathan a grateful smile. "Wow, this is definitely not how I expected to start my summer."

"Tell me about it." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "Who would've thought."

Nathan pulled into the driveway of the beach house and parked the car.

"Stay here, I'll grab our things." Nathan offered as he got out of the vehicle.

Brooke sighed as the scene in Lucas' room replayed in her head. The shock had finally wore off and she felt emotionally and physically raw. Her face hurt and she was mentally exhausted. She grabbed the rear view mirror and turned so if was facing her, inspecting her current appearance. She groaned as she saw her cheeks pink from crying, contrasting her pale skin and making the dark circles that had developed under her bloodshot eyes more prominent. She cringed as she licked her chapped lips and finally turned the mirror away, unable to look at herself any longer.

"Get it together." Brooke muttered to herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She reminded herself that everything that happened was for the best. Things seem shitty now but they will get better. In a way, finding Lucas and Peyton together may have been a blessing, up until that point she had still been wavering back and forth in regards to Lucas, but now, the answer was clear, she didn't have a choice really. Lucas and Peyton made her decision for her. Now it was up to her to move on from this. I can do this, Brooke thought to herself, and she knew she could. She was sick of crying, sick of being upset, sick of being angry. She wanted to let everything go and move forward. And now she was going to get an opportunity, thanks to Nathan.

She smiled as she saw Nathan emerge from the front door with their bags. More than ever, she was grateful to have him around. If it hadn't been for him, who knew where she would've ended up last night or where she'd be today.

"Alright, that's everything." Nathan said, getting back into the drivers seat. "Do you need anything else before we head back to the apartment?"

"Nope." responded Brooke. "This is so weird, us staying together."

"Yeah, can't say this is how I imagined my summer starting off." agreed Nathan, adjusting the volume of the stereo. "But whatever, this is our summer before senior year and I get to spend it with the cheer captain. Life isn't that bad."

"Well, when you put it like that Hot Shot, you've got a pretty good point." laughed Brooke. "You're right though, we're Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott. Nothing is bringing all of this down!"

Nathan joined in with the laughter as he shook his head in awe of the beautiful brunette beside him. A moment ago, she had her world devastated, and now she laughing like she didn't have a care in the world. He admired her strength and her determination to move on and be happy. He hoped for the same for himself.

"So, do you really think me staying with you is gonna work out?" asked Brooke. She knew that Nathan had a one bedroom apartment and that it wasn't very big. As much as she considered Nathan a friend, she really had never spent much time with him before, and now to move in with him…that could be a bit of a stretch.

"I think it'll be fine, I lived with Haley and we were fine. You've been living with Luke, so I really don't see a problem." shrugged Nathan.

"Yeah, but you're not Lucas and I'm definitely not Haley. I think I'm a little more high maintenance than she is." admitted Brooke. "But, you're right, I won't be there long and we can make this work."

"Don't worry Davis, we'll be fine." reassured Nathan as he pulled into his parking spot. He got out and grabbed their bags and led them to the door of the apartment.

Now it was his turn to hesitate as he fumbled with the key to the door. Nathan slowly turned the key and opened the door. Haley's familiar scent hit him instantly, though all her things were gone, the scent lingered still. He walked in slowly, although he had only been gone for an evening, everything felt different, hell, it even looked different from what he remembered. The only remnants of Haley were the photos in the living room, besides that, this could've been anyone's apartment.

Brooke stayed back to allow Nathan to readjust to being back in the apartment he shared with his estranged wife. She watched as he ran his hand through his short hair and looked around the living room. Finally Nathan turned around and smiled at her.

"What you waiting for Davis? Come in!" said Nathan.

"I'm coming." smiled Brooke. "So what you got to eat here? Cuz I'm starving!"

Brooke immediately set down her purse and comfortably made her way around the apartment. She had been here many times and knew her way fairly well. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Hmmm, not too much to pick from huh?" commented Brooke as she moved around the items of Nathan's fridge.

"Well if by not much you mean there's no junk food, then no there isn't." laughed Nathan following Brooke into the kitchen. From the little time he spent with her, he already knew that she had a penchant for tasty junk food, which surprised him as Brooke was so athletic and fit.

"After a start like today, I need more than just carrots to console me." sighed Brooke, grabbing the jar of pickles from the fridge and opening it.

"I agree. And it's only noon." agreed Nathan, walking over to take a pickle from the jar as well.

"Why don't we figure out our living arrangements and I'll unpack my things and then go to an early supper at Karen's?" suggested Brooke. "I could use a burger and chilli fries tonight."

"Sounds good to me." nodded Nathan. It had been a while since he had been there and he thought that Brooke would want to speak to Karen in person to let her know what had happened.

"And, since I'm your guest and a girl, I get the bed." stated Brooke, putting away the pickles and making her way towards Nathan and Haley's bedroom.

"What? No way!" Nathan protested following her into his bedroom.

He walked in to see Brooke laying on the bed wrinkling her nose.

"Not very comfortable Scott." she commented when she heard him walk in. "But I suppose it'll do for a couple weeks."

"What makes you think that I'm willing to give up my bed?" asked Nathan standing over Brooke with his arms crossed.

"Please, like you're gonna say no to me." smirked Brooke confidently as she sat up on the bed to look Nathan in the eye.

"Whatever Davis." shrugged Nathan, shaking his head with a smile. He had a feeling these next couple weeks were going to be interesting. He could tell that living with Brooke won't be anything like living with Haley.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you just in case Lucas is there?" asked Nathan one last time through the car window as Brooke stepped out of his car in front of Karen's diner.

Nathan and Brooke had spent the majority of the afternoon finding places for Brooke to put her things. Surprisingly everything went fairly smoothly between the two and they realized they quite enjoyed each others company, well, for the most part anyway. They could tell that there were going to be things that would bother the other but were willing to ignore that for now. Brooke had seemed more relaxed by the time they left to get dinner and was her usual chatty self again. Though Nathan noticed as they got closer to the diner, she slowly became more quiet again. They had decided that Brooke would go to the diner and get their food so she could talk to Karen and return her key, while Nathan went to the grocery store to pick up food and toiletries for them.

"I'll be fine Nathan." replied Brooke with a tiny smile. She appreciated Nathan's concern, and was actually starting to get used to this side of him. She never would have guessed that he would be her rock through this hard time, but there he was, ready and willing to be there for her. But Brooke knew she had to do this on her own, it wasn't fair to rely on Nathan, even though on the inside she wanted him to come in with her and step in if needed like he had earlier that day at Lucas' house.

"Alright." Nathan said, though he eyed her sceptically. She looked nervous to him but wasn't about to say anything. He knew she needed to do this. "I'll be back in half an hour."

"Sounds good." nodded Brooke, giving him a wave as he began to drive away. "Oh, don't forget chips and dip!"

Nathan gave her a thumbs up as drove down the rode, indicating he heard her. Brooke watched him turn the corner before taking a deep breath and walking into the diner. She was relieved when she looked behind the counter and Lucas was nowhere to be seen. But then she frowned as she didn't see Karen either. Brooke made her way to the counter and ordered her food.

"Brooke!" a low voice came from behind her.

Brooke turned towards the sound of the familiar voice and smiled as her eyes landed on Jake and Jenny who were sitting in a nearby booth. She waved and quickly finished making her order before making her way over to the booth and sitting down.

"Hey Jake! How's it going?" she asked smiling at Jake and then turning her attention to the infant beside him in her car seat.

"Good, we're just grabbing some dinner, spending a little father-daughter time." replied Jake smiling back.

Brooke reached over and gently picked up the cute little baby.

"And how are you doing princess?" she cooed at Jenny, who gave her a toothless smile back. "She gets cuter and cuter every time I see her!"

"Yeah, she really does." agreed Jake, admiring how good Brooke was with Jenny. "So who are you ordering food for? Sounded like you had enough for the entire basketball team!"

"Not the entire basketball team, just me and Nathan." Brooke laughed as she bounced Jenny on her knee.

"You and Nathan?" inquired Jake curiously, dipping a French fry in ketchup.

"Yeah, I know, weird right? I'm staying with him for a while." Brooke sighed, taking one of the fries from the basket. "I'm assuming you've talked to Peyton."

"Yeah." answered Jake sullenly. "How are you doing?"

"Well, aside from the fact that I found Lucas and Peyton in bed today while I was moving my things out of Lucas' house, I'm good!" Brooke chirped sarcastically. Then she looked down and couldn't help but smile at the sweet little girl in her arms. "What bout you? This has to suck for you too."

"You found Peyton and Lucas in bed together?" Jake asked, clearly stunned. He seemed to be thinking about the new revelation and trying to absorb it.

"That was my reaction, well no wait, mine involved more crying and yelling actually." Brooke said dryly, suddenly realizing that probably wasn't the way to tell Jake. "Sorry."

"I just…Peyton and I weren't together anymore but I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt when she told me about her feelings for Lucas. I told her she couldn't help the way she felt and that I just want her to be happy." Jake finally responded, after what felt like an eternity.

"Even if it means screwing over her best friend?" asked Brooke, giving Jake an annoyed look. She was starting to get sick of everyone being pro Peyton at the moment. But she didn't hold it against Jake. Brooke knew how much Jake loved Peyton, and he was one of the most caring and unselfish people she had ever known. It didn't surprise her how even though Peyton broke his heart, Jake would always be there for her.

"Of course not. That's not what I meant at all. I'm sorry Brooke, that didn't come out right." Jake apologized quickly, noticing the hurt on Brooke's face. He felt horrible as he hadn't even considered how this would've effected Brooke.

"It's ok Jagielski, it's not your fault." reassured Brooke, giving him a bit of a smile to let him know she wasn't mad at him.

"Still, I really am sorry Brooke." Jake said genuinely, reaching across and giving her hand a supportive squeeze. "Want the rest of my fries?"

"Well, that would help." smiled Brooke as Jake slid the basket across the table. "Thanks!"

"So, you're staying with Nathan?" asked Jake, he was a little confused when Brooke had mentioned that earlier.

"Yeah, short version, I totalled my car, Nathan found me, Haley left him to tour with Keller and now I'm staying with him until I find a place." Brooke summarized, giving Jenny a napkin to play with so she wouldn't grab at the French fries anymore.

"Wow, you're kidding." said Jake, clearly surprised by Brooke's statement.

"Which part? My car? Haley leaving with Keller? Or me and Nathan living together?" asked Brooke.

"All of it, well except the part about your car, you're a crazy driver!" teased Jake. "Wow, Haley left to tour with Chris Keller. And you living with Nathan, how's that going?"

"I'll have to get back on you with that. I just brought my stuff over today, last night we stayed at the beach house." explained Brooke. "He's been really nice though, surprisingly, he found me in my car and listened to me bitch about Lucas and Peyton. I wasn't expecting that from him. Then he told me about Haley, so we're both in pretty depressing situations right now, hence why we're now roomies. Ooh, sorry baby girl, that's not edible!"

Jenny was trying to eat the napkin when Brooke gently tugged on the paper and move the baby's tiny fist away from her mouth.

"I know you're more angry about this than you wanna admit Jake, but I bet this sweet baby helps huh?" asked Brooke looking at the cute baby who was now starting to fall asleep.

"Yeah, she does. Jenny means everything to me. It's been tough but worth every minute." Jake said proudly. "You're really good with her Brooke."

"Surprised aren't you?" laughed Brooke, finishing the last of Jake's fries.

"A little." admitted Jake light heartedly. He leaned back into the booth and took a breath. "I still can't believe everything that's happened in the last couple days."

"Yeah, tell me about it. This was definitely not the way I expected to kick off my summer before senior year." agreed Brooke, looking up at Jake. Upon closer inspection, she saw that he had the same dark circles under his eyes as she did and he even looked more exhausted than she did, if that was possible. But then again, hearing the love of your life proclaim their love for someone else isn't exactly an easy pill to swallow, especially having to take care of an infant.

"Enough about me, how are you holding up Jake? Seriously? And don't even try to lie to me Jagielski!" inquired Brooke, concerned for her friend. Well, they weren't best friends but they got along and she knew that he must be feeling the same way she did.

"I've been better obviously. It really wasn't what I had wanted to hear from her. I really thought things were going to work out this time between us." sighed Jake tiredly. "Finally, everything was sorted out with Nikki in terms of Jenny, but I guess I always had bad timing with her."

Brooke frowned. Now she was pissed off. Until now, she hadn't even considered how this was effecting Jake. Brooke had believed that Peyton was in love with Jake and planned on getting back together with him, and it was apparent that this was what he thought too. Not only did she betray her best friends trust but also the supposed love of her life. Brooke felt angry at Peyton for how selfish she was, she knew how hurt both Brooke and Jake were going to be by this. It upset Brooke even more that she led Jake on. He didn't deserve any of this, he already had his hands full with everything that was going on with Nikki, this was the last thing he needed. Brooke looked down at the beautiful sleeping baby in her arms. She knew Jake was an amazing guy and a wonderful father, Brooke hoped one day that Peyton would see how royally she messed up.

"Screw Peyton and screw Lucas. We're better off without them." Brooke said defiantly, catching Jake off guard. "You deserve someone who cares as much about you as you do about them, and not just when it's convenient for them. You shouldn't be with someone that makes you feel insecure and unsure. I mean, really, as much as I know you're hurt right now and as much as you love Peyton, you deserve better Jake, you really do."

Jake looked at her, surprised by the sudden outburst. But not surprised by what Brooke said. He could tell that she was upset, she didn't look like her usual perfect self and she seemed worn out but her spark was still there. Nothing held Brooke Davis down for long, not even something as devastating as having the two people she loved most betray her. But what really caught Jake off guard was the fact that she seemed to genuinely care about how he was doing. Sure, he and Brooke were friends, but only because through Peyton and the fact he was on the basketball team and she was cheer captain, and they were always nice to one another but they had never shared a meaningful conversation until now. The Brooke he was accustomed to was the party girl, who was loud, obnoxious and kind of a bitch who didn't really seem to have a care for anyone or anything. It was interesting to this side of her, to see how good she was with Jenny, to see her with her appearance less than perfect, and just to be able to see her for who she really was.

"Thanks Brooke, so do you. I'm sorry that Peyton and Lucas hurt you too. And I know you're right, we both deserve better. I think we just need some time to let this all sink in but I know we're gonna be fine. Just so you know, even though, we aren't close, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I kind of know what you're going through." smiled Jake warmly at Brooke, giving her hand another squeeze. His smile grew more as he felt her hand squeeze back.

"Ditto for you." smiled Brooke. "I like you Jagielski, you're not as boring or bland as I had originally thought. You're a really nice guy."

"Ugh, thanks, I think." Jake laughed at the backhanded compliment.

The waitress brought Brooke's order to the table and Brooke gave the waitress the envelop with Karen's house key, asking her to give it to Karen for her since Karen wasn't in this evening.

"Where's Nathan? It can't take that long to buy groceries." wondered Brooke as she inhaled the smell of the food coming from the brown paper bag. She thought the fries that Jake had given her would hold her over till she got home but if anything it made her even more hungry. "I don't know if I can even wait for him!"

"I'm sure he won't be that much longer." assured Jake, laughing at Brooke, who was practically salivating at the sight of the bag.

"I'm going to start without him." said Brooke as her stomach growled loudly. She gently handed Jenny back to Jake and he immediately lit up at the sight of his baby girl, who was now waking up from her nap. Then Brooke quickly turned her attention to the bag of food in front of her and opened it, taking out her burger and chilli fries.

"You're eating all of that?!?" asked Jake, shocked by the size of the burger and fries.

"Mmmm…just what I needed." Brooke nodded, biting into her burger. "Hmm, I love food!"

"I can see that." laughed Jake, bringing Jenny's attention to Brooke. "Who's that silly girl with the big burger Jenny?"

Jenny cooed at the sight of Brooke, causing Brooke to smile.

"Don't listen to him Jenny, he's the silly one. We girls have to stick together, don't we?" Brooke cooed back at Jenny, who in turn squealed in delight.

"I think she really likes you." Jake said, laughing along with his daughter.

"Well, duh! Everyone likes me!" Brooke said cockily, digging into her chilli fries.

"Hey! I thought we were taking it to go!" Nathan's voice came from across the diner.

"Well you were taking forever and I was dying of starvation!" Brooke said dramatically when Nathan sat down next to her.

"Hey Jake! How's it going man?" greeted Nathan. "And how are you princess?"

Nathan reached across the table and brushed Jenny's cheek softly.

"I'm good, thanks Nate." replied Jake.

"She's getting big." Nathan commented.

"Oh yeah, it's like everyday she learns something new, it's crazy." said Jake, staring down at Jenny, who was now thoroughly entertaining herself by sticking her fingers in her mouth.

Nathan smiled as he reached into the bag and grabbed what he assumed was his burger and fries.

"Well, I guess we're eating here now." said Nathan as he dove into his burger.

"What took you so long anyway?" asked Brooke with her mouth full of fries.

"It wouldn't have taken that long if somebody wasn't so picky about the kinds of junk food they like." Nathan said raising his eyebrows at Brooke.

"What! It's the only place in Tree Hill that you can get Lays Ketchup chips! They order it from Canada." exclaimed Brooke with a dimpled smile.

"Right, I had to go all over town trying to find this place!" Nathan said shaking his head, while still chomping away on his burger. He threw Brooke a teasing smile and bumped her shoulder.

"Whatever Scott, you're gonna be begging me to share them with you once you try them!" retorted Brooke. "And I'm not going to share them with you!"

Jake smiled at the interaction between the two brunettes but remained quiet. He mentally noted how at ease they were with one another.

"Technically, they're my chips, I paid for them." reasoned Nathan. "Maybe I won't share them with you!"

"Fine, then I'm for sure taking the bed tonight!" settled Brooke, finishing the last of her burger and fries.

"Any plans for the summer Jagielski?" Brooke asked before Nathan could respond.

"I'm spending it with Jenny." Jake said happily. "I'll have her during the week and every other weekend over the summer and then Nikki and I will switch when school starts."

"That's great Jake!" Brooke smiled sincerely. "I'm really glad you guys were able to work everything out."

"Yeah, that's great man." piped Nathan. "Does that mean you'll be rejoining the basketball team for our senior year?"

Brooke's eyes widened in anticipation of Jake's answer. Jake had been unable to play the past season because he had full custody of Jenny at the time and she knew that Jenny of course would come first but the team suffered without Jake. He was the team's moral compass and things weren't the same without their voice of reason. Jake had always been the level headed one and kept everyone's egos and tempers in line, including Nathans. She had never seen Nathan foul out of as many games as he had in that past season. He was frustrated because the team was playing poorly, which in turn effected his game, which then led to him getting pissed, which led to him taking unnecessary fouls….and so on and so forth.

"Someone's gotta keep you in line." grinned Jake. He was happy that he would have an opportunity to play again, he missed the game and the team, more so than he thought he would.

"No kidding." smirked Brooke, earning another nudge at Nathan. "What? You know it's true! Anyway, I'm glad you'll be playing again Jake, the team wasn't the same without you."

"Thanks, I'm pretty excited about it, it feels like it's been forever since I've played." replied Jake.

"That's because it has. You've been away for an entire season, with no practice at all in that time. We're gonna have to start conditioning you now to get you back into game shape." Nathan said seriously.

"Oh, ugh, I hadn't even considered that." Jake said sheepishly. He hadn't thought about the fact that he hasn't even looked at a basketball in over a year, let alone touch one. Maybe this wasn't going to be an easy of a transition back on to the team as he thought. He knew that there was going to be a lot of other talented freshmen and sophomores vying for his position as well.

"Good thing you're friends with the Captain of the team. I'll whip you back into shape before summer's over." Nathan promised. He gave Jake the once over. "Looks like you kept your size decent but your arms are looking like jelly. We'll have to start you on some protein shakes."

"Hey." Jake said pretending to be hurt. "I'll have you know that carrying a baby around 12 hours a day gives you pretty good stamina! Thanks Nate, I appreciate the offer but I don't know if I have the time to train the way you want me to."

"I know you want to spend as much time with Jenny as possible and I want you to. All I need is a couple hours every other day." coaxed Nathan, he knew that Jake wanted to, he just needed a little push.

"I don't know if I could afford or find a sitter for her while I do that. Nikki's working and so are my parents." explained Jake.

"Brooke will watch Jenny!" offered Nathan. He looked over at her as she smiled widely.

"I could totally watch her! You said yourself that I was good with her." agreed Brooke. "I could bring her to the Rivercourt and we can watch you guys play! I'm sure she'd love that!"

"Ok, I'm in." grinned Jake. He looked down at his smiling daughter. "Your daddy's gonna be a basketball player again."

"First practice is tomorrow Jagielski, it's getting pretty late, I suggest you go home and get some beauty sleep." smirked Nathan. He was happy that Jake agreed to practice with him, the team really needed him back. "I'll even drop you off."

The three friends made their way to Nathan's car, with Jake putting the stroller in the trunk and Brooke taking a seat beside Jenny's car seat in the back. Brooke smiled as she listened to Jake and Nathan discuss what their regimen was going to be for their first workout. After dropping off Jake and Jenny, Brooke made her way to the passenger seat.

"That was really nice of you to offer Jake some help with basketball." complimented Brooke.

"Jake's a good guy, and he's an asset to the team." replied Nathan.

"Still, this is unexpected from you Nathan. Actually, these past couple days have been unexpected." commented Brooke. "I like it."

"I could say the same for you." replied Nathan. "I like it."

They both turned slightly to look at one another and smiled. They knew that from here on, things were going to work out in the end.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello everyone!! I would like to thank everyone for reading and reviewing the last chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it!! So here's the next chapter, and I'm almost done chapter 5 as well and hope to have that up by the end of the week! Enjoy!! And as always, love hearing from you all!_

_Love me some Julian- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the last chapter! And I should have the next few chapters up sooner as I have a general idea of what I want happening! Yes, this story is my first of which Peyton actually goes after Lucas and don't worry, I have no intention of keeping them together, initially maybe but not permanently! As for spoilers, Rachel and Haley are going to be in this story, and look for Brathan to finally become a couple soon and you totally read my mind about Lucas being all upset about Brathan but Lucas will be back in the picture!! Down the line, Jake and Brooke will become closer as well! Hope you like this next chapter! Love hearing your feedback and suggestions!!_

_bdavisrulz- Thank you for the review! You will see in this chapter that you're right and Lucas owns up to sleeping with Peyton. Peyton in this one, will never be friends with Brooke again, this is different for me, writing her that way, cuz in all my other stories, she's a loyal friend but it's fun to write! I think Brooke and Peyton are great adversaries but I think it'll be most fun writing the Rachel/Peyton dynamic! Yes! Look for Rachel to be back in Chapter 5! I have been contemplating Jake and Rachel as well, I think he would mellow her out! Thanks again for reviewing!_

_fggt16- Thanks so much for reading and reviewing the last chapter! I'm so glad you like having Jake and Jenny in the story! This will be my first story where Jake is a main character but I love him!! I always thought that he should've come back to the show!! There is some Brathan for you in this chapter, but there will be way more in the next couple coming up!! I'm so happy that you're liking this story!! Hope you like chapter 4!_

_Mony19- Just wanted to thank you for the review! Yeah, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that Peyton and Lucas messed up again, but I'm glad you're enjoying the Jake-Nathan-Brooke dynamic!! Jake's gonna be a big part of this story as he will become closer to Brooke as well! Well, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_

_darkshadowarchfiend- Thank you for reading and reviewing my story!! I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far!! Hope you get a chance to read this next one!!_

_ILoveSarahSophia- Thanks for the review! I'm glad that everyone seems to like that Jake is in this story, I think he is just the friend that Brooke needs! I really appreciate the review, I hope you like this next chapter too!_

_Treenuh- Thank you for reviewing the story!! I love the trio's dynamic too! Look for Jake to become closer friends with Brooke as well and not just Nathan!! He will definitely be one of the main characters in this story! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! Let me know what you think of chapter 4!_

_BreakingDawn007- Thank you very much for reading and reviewing my story! I'm so glad that you're enjoying it so far!! I also love Brathan stories and there's tons of great ones out there! All of mine are about them! *I may have a bit of an obsession!* lol, anyhow, I hope you like where I take it from here on! Let me know what you think!!_

_Leni_

Chapter 4:

Brooke placed her towel on the chair she had dragged from Nathan's beach house to the beach. She slightly reclined the chair before laying on it. She sighed in content, taking off her oversized sunglasses to avoid the horrible sunglasses tan. It was a beautiful hot and sunny day in Tree Hill and with summer being more than half way over now, she wanted to take advantage of as many lazy beach days as she could. It was funny to Brooke how things could change so rapidly. At the beginning of the summer she had been devastated by Lucas and Peyton and now, six weeks later, she felt content. She still had yet to speak to either one of them and intended on keeping it that way until at least school started, even then, she was pretty sure she could get away with not talking to them.

Brooke reflected on how she had spent her summer so far, the drunken teenage parties, though there were fewer than she had predicted there would be, except there was one that night but anyway, the lazy days on the beach, watching Jenny while Nathan and Jake practiced and sketching, something she had been doing a lot of lately. Through it all, she came to realize that she didn't need a lot to be happy and that the little things were what really mattered to her. Her little VW Bug was all fixed and good as new but she was still staying with Nathan. Brooke had every intention at the beginning of summer to find her own apartment but before she knew it, two weeks became three, then four and now summer was more than half over. Though she knew that Nathan wasn't opposed to her staying. And if she was being completely honest, she wasn't big on the idea of moving out either.

Over the course of six weeks Nathan and Brooke had become significantly closer, not just because of the mutual hurt that their loved ones caused them but because it turned out they genuinely enjoyed each other's company, which caught them both off guard. Not only that, they discovered that they both have more in common than originally thought, they connected on a level they had never been able to with anyone else. Throughout their lives, they had both been down similar paths and that realization is what brought a completely new understanding between the two. That's not to say that they didn't argue and bicker, because they certainly did, but once it was over, it was just that, over. Things were going pretty well considering the circumstances. And though she wasn't quite ready to admit it yet, she wasn't sure if her feelings for Nathan were purely platonic anymore, and when that changed she wasn't sure.

"Brooke." a familiar voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Her body tensed at the sound. Lucas. Brooke kept her eyes closed, pretending to be asleep in hopes he would get the hint and leave.

Brooke." Lucas said again nervously, except this time the voice was closer.

Shit, she thought to herself. She sighed and opened her eyes and turned towards him. She had to face him eventually, she supposed.

"What." she responded emotionless.

"Can I sit?" Lucas asked staring at the beauty laying on the white beach chair.

"It doesn't really matter what I say, you're gonna do what you want anyway." Brooke shrugged.

Lucas looked a little relieved and moved closer to sit in the sand beside Brooke. As he sat, he inhaled her familiar sweet scent and his heart ached for her. Everyday since that fateful day, he missed her. Lucas had found himself walking past Brooke's old bedroom, which still had her furniture in it and occasionally he would step in and sit on her bed, remembering how things once were. He regretted everything that had happened that day and the days leading up to it. Lucas spent the last six weeks re-evaluating himself, his relationship with Brooke and his relationship with Peyton. He realized that Brooke was right, he was shutting her out, unintentionally but nonetheless, that's what he did and he realized that he had turned to Peyton and perhaps leaned on her a bit too much. What he came up with was that he was still in love with Brooke and always had been. Sure there had been residual feelings left over for Peyton and he wasn't going to deny it but they weren't worth losing Brooke over. And if Brooke were to even consider giving him another chance, he wouldn't mess it up this time, he would cut all ties with Peyton, he would do anything she wanted.

Lucas had also told Peyton this, and that conversation didn't go too well either. After Brooke and Nathan had left his house that day, Peyton had initially regretted her actions, knowing how much they had hurt her best friend. She and Lucas had decided that it wasn't worth all the pain they had caused, and decided to be friends. And initially that's what it was, until one day a few weeks ago Lucas decided to tell Peyton about wanting to try and reconcile with Brooke. At first it seemed Peyton understood but as the conversation progressed and it became perfectly clear that Peyton wanted to be more than friends with Lucas and when Lucas explained that it didn't change the way he felt about Brooke, she became upset. Needless to say, things were pretty awkward between the two blondes…

"How have you been?" asked Lucas.

"Good." replied Brooke, not looking at him.

"That's ugh, good." Lucas stuttered, he didn't expect her to be so stoic. Upset, yes, annoyed, yes, but not to be completely indifferent. This was a side of Brooke that he had never seen before and he didn't think he liked it.

Brooke remained silent, turned on to her stomach and faced away from Lucas.

"Uh, so, I was hoping we could talk." Lucas tried again, starting to feel a little defeated. He wasn't used to this lack of emotion and it was starting to freak him out a little bit.

"Look, I just wanted to apologize for what happened that day." Lucas started again. "It was wrong and inappropriate and I'm sorry for hurting you again. Peyton and I aren't together…but the reason I'm here is because I still love you Brooke, I never stopped. Nothing will ever change that, not Peyton, not anyone or anything. I know that you're mad at me and you have every right to be, but I just needed to tell you. And if you will even think of possibly considering talking to me again, I'm going to be here. I'm not giving up on you Brooke. I'm fighting for us this time and I'm going to wait until you're ready."

Lucas waited for Brooke to reply and sighed when she didn't. He started reaching his hand out to touch her but stopped himself at the last minute. He knew that he should walk away now and allow Brooke to digest what he just told her but just being in her presence made him feel whole again. He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet scent one last time before getting up and walking away.

* * *

Nathan walked into the beach house with a couple cases of beer. A beach party was planned for the evening and he wanted to make sure he, Brooke and Jake wouldn't run out of supplies at any point. Since his separation from Haley, Nathan and his parents were on better terms now, not perfect, as he still despised Dan but things with his mother were a lot better, especially since she left Dan. In fact, Deb had offered to take Jenny so Jake could go out and be a teenager for a night. The trio had decided on staying at the beach house for the evening, well Brooke decided as she said it'd be like a slumber party, except less girls and more drunk.

Nathan smiled upon thinking of the beautiful brunette. Brooke had been amazing to him for the past six weeks, he swears if it wasn't for her, he would be in a depressed rut and unable to function. She had led by example and really tried to move forward without looking back, not to say there weren't any set backs, but it was her resilience that inspired him to do the same. It had been hard for Nathan at first, adjusting to living with Brooke, the realization that things were over between him and his wife. He missed Haley to the point where it physically hurt him and at first he tried contacting her but to no avail.

Then slowly, he started thinking about Haley less and things began to feel comfortable with Brooke.

Through it all, the good and bad, she had been there for him, whether it was through one of his crazy rage fits, as she called them, or when he needed someone to listen or tell him to shut up and even when he needed an opponent in NBA on his Xbox 360. And Nathan was attracted to her, that's for sure, but lately, her touches began elicit goose bumps on his skin and he found himself unable to take his eyes off her. Of course, she was easy on the eyes, whether she was all dolled up for a party, first thing in the morning, or as she currently was, in a bikini on the beach but he thought she was most beautiful right before she went to bed. Her long hair brushed back, her face clean of makeup and her skin soft from the fruity lotion. It was then that Nathan could see her, really see her for who she was. She was beautiful, obviously, had a bit of an attitude, yes, kinda bitchy, definitely. But she was also vulnerable, compassionate and understanding. The beauty of her soul was unlike anyone he had ever met and he wondered how he went so long without noticing it.

Naturally, all his friends had assumed that he and Brooke were now hooking up since they live together but they weren't. Nothing physical had occurred between them at all, and Nathan didn't want to jeopardize their friendship by doing something that could make things really uncomfortable for them, no matter how much he wanted to. Earlier that week, Nathan finally came to terms that he had developed feelings for Brooke somewhere along the way and when Nathan had confided in Jake about his feelings, Jake didn't look surprised at all nor did he judge him for it. Actually, Jake encouraged Nathan to say something to Brooke and told him he wouldn't be ruining things with Brooke, but Nathan was unsure.

He sighed as he walked into the kitchen to drop off alcohol into the fridge. Then he walked out on to the patio with a beer in hand and looked out onto the beach. Nathan spotted Brooke almost immediately, she had been sitting in the same spot with the same chair on the beach all summer. He frowned when he noticed her sitting with her knees up to her chest, arms crossed and her face buried on top. Nathan put his beer down and made his way down to the beach to see his friend. Upon closer inspection, he could tell something was definitely up, even with oversized sunglasses on, he saw that Brooke was upset.

Nathan wordlessly took a seat on the beach chair at Brooke's feet. He studied her face, seeing her nostrils flared slightly and her lips tight in an attempt to prevent herself from crying. It was a face that Nathan knew well from the course of their time together, unfortunately. Nathan offered a kind smile while gently grazing her arm with his hand and that was all it took for Brooke to launch herself into his arms and he pulled her tiny frame into his chest, squeezing tightly. He felt Brooke's body mold itself to fit into his as she sought comfort in his embrace and he felt the silent sobs and tears on his chest.

"What's wrong?" asked Nathan gently. It had been a while since he had seen Brooke like this and it worried him.

Brooke just took a deep breath and shook her head in response. Nathan knew that she didn't want to talk about it yet, but he had an idea about what or who, specifically, was the reason for Brooke's current state. Instead of pushing, he rubbed her back soothingly and kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks Nathan." Brooke said, her voice raspy and quiet. She slowly removed herself from Nathan, trying to shake it off. She hated that Lucas could still get to her, Brooke had thought she was close to getting over him, but then he had to come and profess his love for her and how he wasn't going anywhere and wasn't giving up without a fight. If only he had that attitude months ago, and Brooke had wanted to tell him it was too late for his revelations but part of her still loved him. And she hated that, after everything that had happened, how could she still love him, but she knew, deep down that she will always love Lucas, he was her first love and she knew that you don't forget that.

Nathan just looked at her inquisitively, and reached to fix her hair that had become out of place from leaning on his chest, earning him a small one dimpled smile from Brooke.

"Anytime Davis, but I haven't really done anything." said Nathan.

Brooke took off her sunglasses before grabbing Nathan's hands into her own.

"You have no idea what you've done for me these past few weeks." Brooke said seriously. "If it weren't for you…I don't even know where I'd be right now."

"Come on now, you, not knowing what you'd do? Davis, you're the most resilient person I know, you would've been fine, I don't doubt that." replied Nathan honestly, giving Brooke's little hands a squeeze.

"I don't know about that." Brooke said sceptically. "I thought I was getting over it you know?"

Nathan nodded in hopes she would continue, he didn't have to ask what 'it' was. He knew she was referring to Lucas and Peyton.

"Then he just shows up here and tells me that he loves me and that he's not giving up on me." Brooke says, her eyes widening with a bewildered look on her face. "He's sorry for what happened between him and Peyton, and they're not together because he wants me. What am I suppose to do with that?"

"What do you want to do with that?" asked Nathan. After the last encounter at Lucas' house, Nathan had hardly seen or heard from his brother and had assumed that Lucas and Peyton were together again.

"I don't know!" admitted Brooke exasperatedly. "I hate that he can still do this to me. I really thought I was done, but after hearing him say that, I just don't know. I wanted to move on…but part of me still loves him, I think, ugh… I don't know!"

Nathan involuntarily tensed upon hearing the last part of Brooke's statement.

"What are you going to do?" Nathan tried to ask normally. The thought of Brooke reconciling with Lucas bothered the hell out of him, but he wasn't about to show it.

"Nothing, I mean, what is there to do? I'll never trust him again and I think it's just going to take more time for my feelings to go away." Brooke reasoned. "He was my first love, that doesn't go away just like that, no matter how much I want it to."

Nathan relaxed and nodded in agreement to her response.

"Do you still love Haley? If she came back today, what would you do?" inquired Brooke, playing with his hands by intertwining their fingers and rubbing them.

"Wow, that's a loaded question. Of course I still love her, but I don't miss her as much as I did before." Nathan said thoughtfully. "If she came back today, honestly, I don't know what I would do. I'm still really pissed at her but I guess part of me will always want to just forget it all happened and go back to how things were."

Brooke felt her heart clench a bit, surprised how much it stunned her to hear what Nathan's answer was. She quickly nodded, trying not to let on her disappointment in his response. Brooke mentally scolded herself for feeling this way, she knew that she had been wrestling with her feelings for Nathan lately but upon hearing his answer, she knew if she gave into her feelings, it wouldn't end well for her. Haley was bound to come back sometime, and technically, Nathan and Haley were still married, ugh…it just wasn't a can of worms she was willing to open. Damn Scott's, she thought to herself, wondering how she could possibly be developing feelings for her ex boyfriends brother. It was obvious now, because if she didn't have feelings for Nathan she wouldn't be feeling so jealous…

"Yeah, I know what you mean, that's how I feel about Lucas." Brooke replied, she didn't know why she said that, she didn't want to go back. She sighed and untangled her fingers from Nathans and sat back on the chair.

Nathan noticed the warmth leaving him when Brooke let go of his hand, he watched as she fidgeted with her towel.

"So then you are considering working things out with Lucas?" Nathan asked not really wanting to hear the answer.

Brooke shrugged without saying anything and continued to play with her towel. She put her sunglasses back on so her eyes couldn't reveal her true emotions to Nathan. She wasn't really thinking about getting back together with Lucas but she wasn't about to tell Nathan that.

"If you get back together with him, then you're stupid Davis." Nathan said abruptly. He couldn't believe after everything that had happened Brooke would actually want to be with his idiot brother. If Lucas couldn't see what he had to begin with, then he didn't deserve another chance in Nathan's mind. He knew his comment would piss Brooke off and that he was picking a fight but that was his intention at the moment, anything to distract him from how much the thought of Lucas and Brooke together bothered him.

"Excuse me!" Brooke said with a hard glare. His comment caught her off guard and pissed her off a little. "You're considering doing the same thing with Haley!"

"Yeah, well Haley hasn't cheated on me twice with my best friend." Nathan said sternly. Talking about Haley was definitely hitting a nerve for him. But he didn't know why he was surprised that Brooke would bring her up.

"No, she just left your sorry ass for a creepy, horndog wannabe singer." Brooke smirked, narrowing her eyes. "What's that say about you?"

Brooke knew it was a low blow, but she didn't care, she was angry, angry that Nathan was picking a fight with her and angry at herself for being upset at the thought of Nathan getting back together with Haley.

"You are such a bitch sometimes!" Nathan sneered, the old Nathan attitude back in full force now. "Haley left me to follow her dreams, but Lucas left you twice for Peyton. So what does that say about you?"

"Go fuck yourself." Brooke said in a hard tone.

She got up quickly, pushing past Nathan and storming back to the beach house, but not before Nathan noticed her nostrils flare slightly and her lips purse together. He knew he upset her and he wished he didn't care but he did.

Nathan groaned and rubbed his face with his hands. This whole thing was incredibly frustrating. He knew he had feelings for Brooke but he didn't feel right acting on those feelings since nothing regarding his marriage had been finalized yet and he felt it was still too soon for him to tell Brooke. It has only been six weeks since everything went down with Lucas and Peyton. And if Nathan was being honest to himself, he still had unresolved feelings for Haley, it just wouldn't be the right time to tell Brooke how he felt about her. That and Nathan Scott doesn't deal with rejection very well, he didn't know how Brooke would react to his confession, he didn't even know if she felt the same though, he was pretty sure that after their little tiff, that would be the last thing on her mind.

* * *

Brooke slammed the patio door as she walked into the beach house. She threw her sunglasses on the counter but the momentum caused them to bounce off the wall and on to the floor. She didn't bother to pick them up as she blinked away some tears. It wasn't that she was sad, she was upset, definitely, but not sad. She was frustrated and annoyed and the whole day just didn't turn out the way she had hoped. Brooke was breathing heavy still and was trying to calm down and not let those idiotic Scott's ruin her day.

Brooke let out a frustrated growl and stormed around the kitchen in an attempt to blow off steam. What the hell is his problem, she thought to herself, what right did he have judging her? It really wasn't any of his business what she decided to do with Lucas. Though she knew that wasn't what was really bothering her. What bothered her was that he was willing to take Haley back and that realization drove her crazy. She didn't want the thought of Nathan and Haley to bother her.

Haley didn't deserve him, she left him high and dry for that loser Chris Keller. Brooke just couldn't figure out why Haley still had such a strong hold on him. They had only been together for a few months before they had gotten married and Haley had taken off before they made it to their six month anniversary! It was difficult for Brooke to imagine now that she had gotten to know Nathan, to really, truly know Nathan, how Haley could've just up and left like that. Yeah, Nathan was still cocky and a little arrogant but she liked that in a guy. He was also kind, caring and loyal, that was something she wasn't expecting from him. Not to mention, the man was chiselled like a God from basketball… Things suddenly became startling clear, Brooke had somewhere along the six weeks fallen for Nathan.

"Oh God." Brooke said aloud, pacing even faster around the island in the kitchen. "No, no, no!"

Brooke was unsure of what her feelings were exactly before, but now, well, actually who was she kidding, of course she realized she had feelings for Nathan, she just didn't allow herself to admit it until now. She thought back to all those nights where they had hung out together, doing nothing, just watching a movie or hanging out on the beach and how they always had a great time together and how she always came home with an extra raspy voice from talking and laughing so hard. She had never felt so free, free of makeup, perfect hair, designer clothes, just free to be herself. Or the first time she felt goosebumps on her skin when he accidentally brushed against her coming from the bathroom, the memory of his touch causing her blood to rush to her face and the tingle up her spine was something she wouldn't be able to forget. She was about to reach for one of the beers in the fridge when she heard the patio door opened. Brooke tensed as she knew it must've been Nathan coming in, causing her to momentarily freeze and not know where to go or what to do. She felt her face flush a bit as she heard him behind her, mentally scolding herself for being so ridiculous. Brooke Davis does not blush over boys, boys blush over Brooke Davis.

"Brooke?" Nathan called out, picking up her sunglasses from the kitchen floor. That's not a good sign, he thought to himself, examining the broken Diors and gently placing them on the counter.

"What do you want? Cuz if you're gonna tell me how dumb I am, you can forget it." Brooke retorted, finally turning around after the heat left her cheeks. She twisted the cap off her beer and took a large sip. Her plan was to play angry in hopes it would distract Nathan from catching on to her true feelings. He had gotten pretty good a reading her lately. Truthfully, she had gotten to know him really well too, and she knew he didn't mean any by it when he called her stupid, he was upset, about what she had no idea, but that was his way of dealing with things when he was pissed, she knew because that's what she did too. This time she was ready to fight, even full out brawl with Nathan, anything to avoid what she was really feeling.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said out there. It was uncalled for and I didn't mean it." Nathan apologized sincerely, staring at Brooke intently. He hoped that she would accept his apology because it was the truth, he was jealous and just acted out of that jealousy.

"What the hell Nathan?!" Brooke raged. She could not believe he was actually apologizing, what is wrong with him, how was she suppose to stay angry now that he's apologizing, she thought. That was not the reaction she was expecting from him, she expected to continue the fight and then she could avoid him the rest of the night! And she definitely couldn't stay in the kitchen any longer as Nathan's shirtless body was beginning to break her. She slammed the fridge door and stalked into the living room. She had no idea what she was suppose to now, she was pretty sure Nathan thought she was crazy at this point.

"Whoa, Davis, you need to chill out. I'm trying to apologize." Nathan said, obviously confused as he followed Brooke into the living room. He had no idea what was going on with her but he was going to find out. Still he couldn't help but notice how incredibly sexy she was walking around in her bikini, even if she was pissed, if anything, her feistiness was even more of a turn on.

"Well, I don't want your stupid apology." Brooke spat out, getting more and more flustered by the minute, she didn't know why he was following her and why wasn't he getting mad at her yet. Fighting with Nathan, she could deal with, but feelings for Nathan, she didn't even know where to even to begin.

"What is going on with you?" Nathan asked incredulously. He stood in the middle of the living room, watching Brooke walk around unable to settle on a spot. Finally he reached out and took her arm. He immediately felt the electricity flow from her fingers to his as he slowly turned her so she was facing him. His pulse began to race and his breathing became uneasy. He swallowed hard, trying to calm himself down, hoping she wouldn't notice. No one had ever made him feel this way before just with a simple touch and he wanted to desperately tell her that. He looked down at the tiny brunette in front of him, her face was flushed still and she was avoiding his gaze.

Brooke closed her eyes and took a deep breath. His familiar aftershave and body wash scent filled her nostrils, intoxicating her. She swallowed hard and tried to get a hold of herself. But, her emotions weren't going to allow her do that this day. As she opened her eyes, she was met with the most beautiful dark blue eyes baring into her soul and they were her undoing. Now that she had realized her feelings for Nathan, it was as if the flood gates opened because now all she could see was him. But she knew that she wasn't all he saw, he still had Haley in his heart.

"Nothing. I don't know what you're talking about." Brooke said unsteadily, finally looking up at him. She was having problems keeping her breathing even as her heart was pumping a mile a minute. She naturally gravitated closer to him without even noticing she was doing so.

Nathan couldn't help but smile a little when he was finally met with those bright hazel orbs, quickly finding himself lost in their beauty. He couldn't say a word, all he could do was stare. Oh yeah, he was a total goner. Being in such a close proximity made his pulse race and his blood rush throughout his body. Never had he reacted this way to someone before, not Peyton, or Haley. He knew he was staring but he couldn't help it, literally, he couldn't do anything at the moment.

"I have to go." Brooke suddenly said. And with that, she flew to the front door and was gone, leaving Nathan utterly confused about the whole thing that had just gone on.

"What the fuck just happened?" he asked outloud.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hello! So here is chapter 5, I hope you enjoy it! As always I love hearing from you, good or bad, and I love any suggestions or ideas that you may have!! Thanks for reading!_

_Love me some Julian- I'm glad you liked the last chapter and thanks for reviewing and reading! Chapter 5 starts off at the beach party, enjoy! He doesn't go after her, but I;m hoping you like how it turns out!!_

_Ravens23Nate- Thank you for reading and reviewing the story, I'm happy that you like the story so far! Hopefully you'll like this next chapter! Ps, there are tons of awesome Brathan stories out there, that's what converted me too and now I'm hooked!_

_koumi11- Thanks for taking the time to read and review my fic, I hope you like this next chapter as well! Jealous Nathan? You got it, there will definitely be some of that down the line as Lucas will be in the picture!_

_fggt16- Seriously, thanks for always reviewing! I really appreciate it! So this chapter is about what happens now that the feelings are known, hope you like it!_

_bdavisrulz- Thanks for the review! I'm glad my attempt at sexual tension translated! Lol, and you can count on Lucas to keep his word this time and continue to fight for Brooke, he's not giving up anytime soon! And Rachel will kinda be the missing link in the Jake, Nathan, Brooke trio so I hope you like how it goes!_

_BrathanXOXO- Thanks a lot for the review! Glad you're liking the story so far! Hope you like Chapter 5 too!_

_Treenuh- Thank you for the review! Chapter 5 will be Brooke and Nathan dealing with how their feelings are going to change their dynamic and we'll see what other peoples reactions to this will be! I hope you like it!_

_TarynLewis- Thank you for reviewing the last chapter! Here's the next chapter and I'll be done sooner, so I hope to have updates more frequently in the next few weeks! Enjoy!_

_Leni_

Chapter 5:

The beach party was a hit, almost everyone who was anyone was there. Both Nathan and Jake were pretty tipsy at this point but yet there was still no sign of Brooke.

"Nate!" a voice from behind Nathan called.

He turned around to see Lucas approaching him.

"Hey Luke." Nathan said, trying to sound normal as the sight of Brooke sitting on the beach from earlier that day flashed before him, angering him.

"Have you seen Brooke?" Lucas asked. He had come to the party in hopes of trying to talk to Brooke again, but knew it would be difficult since Peyton was also there.

"Actually, no I haven't but I don't think she really wants to talk to you man." Nathan said, sipping his beer. "And I think you've done enough for the day."

"So, she did tell you." Lucas realized, trying read Nathan's face. There was something off about his younger brother, but he couldn't quite put a finger as to what it was.

"She didn't have too. Anytime I find Brooke upset, it's usually because of you." responded Nathan. "Do her a favor and just leave her alone. Go be with Peyton, you know you'll eventually end up there anyway."

"That's not fair Nate. Look, I know you and Brooke have become really close and I know you're watching out for her but believe me when I tell you that I would never intentionally hurt her again. I really do love her." Lucas confessed. "I know why you would think that I should be with Peyton, but she's not the one I want. Peyton, she's my friend and she needs me."

"Give me some credit here Luke. I know you and Peyton aren't done yet." Nathan challenged. "Brooke deserves better than that. She deserves someone who is going to be there for her, fully be there for her, not some half ass attempt."

"Peyton and I are through, I've already told her where I stand in terms of Brooke. And I would be there for Brooke, I'm not going to make the same mistake again." Lucas argued. He understood why Nathan was being protective of Brooke but this seemed a bit much to him, but then again, Nathan was the one that had been there for her and not him.

"Oh really, so tell me, how did Peyton take that news?" asked Nathan, chugging some more of his beer. "Not well, I'm assuming. And I'm gonna go ahead and assume that she still has feelings for you."

Lucas remained silent, confirming all of Nathan's suspicions.

"And let me guess, you guys are still spending a lot of time together aren't you? I really don't see that flying with Brooke." Nathan finished, waiting for Lucas to answer.

"I told her that I wouldn't see Peyton anymore if she wanted to get back together." Lucas explained. "But she is my friend."

"How long will you be able to stay away from Peyton this time?" pressed Nathan. He knew he was starting to irk Lucas but he didn't really care at this point. "Look, if you can't see how truly amazing Brooke really is, then you don't deserve her. She doesn't need you to make her feel like shit."

"It'll be different this time, jeez Nate, what's with all the questions? You were always for me and Brooke, what's changed?" wondered Lucas, his eyes suddenly widened with realization as he allowed the last part of Nathan's sentence sink in.

"You have feelings for her!" accused Lucas. "Unbelievable."

"I'm unbelievable?" Nathan snorted. "You have a lot of nerve to say that to me considering everything you've done to Brooke."

"And you're not denying it! I can't believe you would do it Nathan. You have a wife for crying out loud!" Lucas said, starting to get a little upset as he was obviously assuming the worst.

Which was in his mind, Nathan and Brooke have been sleeping together all summer. He wasn't deaf or blind. He had heard through the grapevine that the two brunettes have been hooking up since Brooke moved in and how they were always seen together, they were literally attached at the hip. He couldn't believe Brooke or Nathan would do that. Then it dawned on him. There was no way that Nathan and Brooke could possibly have feelings for each other. Nathan was using Brooke to get over Haley, and Brooke was using Nathan to get back at him for what he did with Peyton. The thought of his brother and Brooke infuriated him.

"Brooke is still vulnerable, I can't believe, actually, I can believe that you would take advantage of that. I should of known with you two, you haven't changed at all. Remember how many people you hurt when that sex tape came out?" Lucas ranted on, lecturing his younger brother.

That was all the hypocrisy Nathan could stand before he stepped up to punch Lucas, but luckily for Lucas, Jake and Tim had been monitoring the situation for afar and made their move as soon as they saw Nathan step towards Lucas. At the same time, Peyton, who had been eyeing the exchange between the two brothers came to Lucas' side.

"Whoa." Tim said as he and Jake came up on either side of Nathan, restraining him.

"What's going on here?" Peyton asked looking at Lucas and Nathan. She eyed Jake uncomfortably.

"Nathan's just being his usual jackass self, that's what's happening here." Lucas said shaking his head at his brother not backing down as Nathan attempted to move towards him again.

"Whatever it is, it's not worth it Nate." Jake reasoned glaring at Lucas and ignoring Peyton completely. He didn't know what happened, but since Jake really wasn't Lucas' biggest fan at the moment, he knew Lucas was probably at fault. That and it most likely involved a certain still absent pretty brunette.

"Yeah, come on man. Let's go get another drink." Tim suggested giving Lucas a dirty look. He had no idea what was happening, but as his role as Nathan's best friend, he was going to side with him.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Nathan spat out. "For someone who claims to love Brooke, you have no fucking idea on who she is. Because if you did, you wouldn't be spewing this bullshit right now."

"Really? So you two aren't sleeping together? I highly doubt that." retorted Lucas angrily. The thought of his brother and ex made his blood boil.

"What's it to you? Jealous?" an angry voice that could only belong to Rachel Gatina came from a distance as she and Brooke emerged before the group. And Rachel looked like she was definitely out for blood. The two had heard the argument that had ensued as they walked down the beach towards the party.

Both Nathan and Lucas stared at Brooke who was standing beside Rachel silently. Brooke had no idea what was happening besides that fact that Lucas had just accused Nathan of sleeping with Brooke. She also heard Nathan defending her, which obviously touched her, as it showed how much he cared about her. Brooke snuck a glance at Nathan, who smiled warmly at her.

"My brother, Brooke? Is this your way of getting back at me?" Lucas asked painfully, staring at the still silent brunette. He took her silence as an admission of guilt.

"You're fucking delusional." snorted Rachel with a laugh. The amusement on her face garnered a laugh from Tim. "Please, don't flatter yourself, if they're sleeping together it has nothing to do with you."

"Are you?" Peyton piped up, searching Brooke's face for a giveaway and then looking at Nathan.

"Again, why do you care?" Rachel rolled her eyes at Peyton. "Figured you'd be happy as long as she wasn't with Lucas."

"Shut up Rachel. You haven't been here all summer, you have no idea what's been going on." retorted Peyton angrily.

Brooke silently looked at Rachel, they had heard pretty much everything after Lucas accused Nathan of sleeping with Brooke. She also knew that people had their suspicions but she had never denied or confirmed anything except to Rachel of course. Somehow, the redhead, though on vacation on another continent managed to hear the Tree Hill gossip, damn Bevin, and she was the only one that Brooke had discussed her feelings for Nathan with. At first Rachel was a little jealous that Brooke was staying with Nathan since she had an eternal crush on him, but when Brooke told her about all the things Nathan had done for her over the summer, it was Rachel who suggested that she may be developing more than platonic feelings for the other Scott and she was surprisingly very supportive about it.

"Please, all I have to do is look at you and know what's going on. You're so fucking transparent Peyton." snorted Rachel, giving the blonde girl a dirty look. She turned and eyed Jake up. "But I wasn't expecting you to get so ripped so soon, looking good Jagielski!"

Jake smiled at the redhead, though he knew she most likely said that to get under Peyton's skin, and it worked as she was now fuming. Then he looked over to Brooke, who had stayed eerily quiet throughout the whole exchange. He could tell she wanted to get away but things didn't really seem like they were slowing down anytime soon. Then her expression changed, which only meant trouble…

"Brooke." Lucas said again. "Is it true?"

"Does it matter?" asked Brooke sharply, moving so she was beside Rachel now.

"He's my brother, what do you think?" Lucas asked outrageously. "I should've known."

"Yeah and Peyton was my best friend. Bit hypocritical, don't you think. I can't even look at you right now." Brooke said, narrowing her eyes at the two blondes before her. "And is it really that hard to believe that someone might actually have feelings for me? Or that I may have feelings for someone besides you? If you just think that Nathan and I have just been fucking all summer... whatever, I don't have to justify anything to either one of you."

With that Brooke walked away, dismissing Lucas as he tried to reach out to her. She knew what she said was vague and Brooke didn't give a shit, Lucas and Peyton could think whatever the hell they wanted to. She headed straight to the drink table and poured four shots of Sambuca, downing them immediately. She would be damned if she was going to let those idiots ruin her night! Nothing was stopping B. Davis tonight. Rachel was back and that's all she needed right now. Someone who was on her side no matter what, though blatantly honest to a fault, she always had her back.

"Hey slut, where's my shot?" Rachel asked walking up beside her.

Brooke prepared two more shots each and smirked at the redhead.

"Let's get real drunk tonight." smiled Brooke devilishly.

"I like how your brain works." grinned Rachel, as she clinked her shot glass with Brooke's before downing both shots.

* * *

"There you are." Jake called out, walking along the shore as he approached Brooke, stumbling a little before taking a seat beside her once he reached her. "I was wondering where you went off too."

"Whoa there, someone needs to slow down a bit I think." Brooke teased, steadying Jake as he sat down. She laughed at how funny Jake was when he had a few drinks.

"I'm fine!" insisted Jake, sipping his beer. The truth was, since having Jenny, he obviously didn't have the time or money to be out drinking with his buddies like everyone else but tonight was great for him. Of course, he loves Jenny, but it was nice to be able to just be worry free even if it was momentary. That and he discovered he was a pretty cheap drunk so if he did ever decide to get wasted again, he knew his wallet wouldn't suffer too much!

"Mmm hmm. Right!" laughed Brooke. After finishing all the Sambuca off with Rachel, Brooke decided that it was probably better if she went for a walk. At the current state she was in, she couldn't be held responsible if she had a run in with either Peyton or Lucas, or even Nathan for that matter.

She needed to get away and think. Really think about what she was going to do about her feelings for Nathan. So she found herself a perfect spot in a secluded area, away from the party. She loved the smell of the water off the shore and the light mist that sprayed her body.

"Whatcha thinking?" asked Jake comically. He eyed Brooke, watching her play with the empty cup in her hand. He knew that what Lucas had said bothered her but he had to wonder if there was more.

Brooke shrugged.

"I don't wanna talk about me." she said defiantly. "Cuz I know what you wanna talk about. So we're gonna talk about you instead!"

"Oh yeah? Well, how bout we talk about me and then we'll talk about you?" Jake said.

"Deal." Brooke agreed. "So, really, how many drinks did you have? Cuz you're kinda obliterated right now."

"Aww, come on Brooke, are you really gonna bust my balls now?" laughed Jake. "In my defence, I'm a father now, I don't have the time or money to drink as often as you guys-"

"Just answer the question Jagielski!" teased Brooke, her eyes twinkling at Jake.

"Ok, ok, I had four beers." admitted Jake.

"Well, four isn't that bad-" started Brooke before Jake cut her off.

"Ok, I had two." Jake confessed sheepishly. He really couldn't lie to Brooke.

"Ohh, yeah you're a cheap drunk!" laughed Brooke. "But don't worry, I won't take advantage of you in your current state, but I'd watch out for Rachel though, she might roofie your next beer. I saw her eyeing you up!"

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure she was just doing that to make Peyton mad." grinned Jake. "But I will admit, I liked the attention."

"Oh, look who's the attention whore now!" Brooke smirked. She rested her head on Jake's shoulder and wrapped her arms around his. "I love you Jake."

She meant it, she loved Jake in a platonic way of course, but he truly was the nicest, most sincere and caring person she had ever met. He was a wonderful father to Jenny and he was so genuine, it was hard to find anyone who didn't like Jake. He was just one of those stand up guys. Over the summer, she had made a point to spend time with Jake and Jenny at least a couple times a week and soon the trio plus Nathan became inseparable. Again, this was something that she wasn't expecting. What she loved most about Jake was that she felt like she could tell him anything and he would never look at her differently or judge her. And he was always there for her no matter what and she tried to return the favour and be there for him as much as she could too. In a way, everything that had happened with Lucas and Peyton was a blessing in disguise, she found some truly amazing people in Nathan and Jake, unlike the backstabbing twosome that called had themselves her boyfriend and best friend. They were people she could really count on and she knew they would never disappoint her, that's what real friendships are about.

"I love you too Brooke." Jake said smiling down at the brunette.

He too, meant it as well, also in a platonic way. Brooke Davis was like a whirlwind that came into his life out of nowhere. He always wondered how differently things could've been if it wasn't for that fateful night at the diner. Brooke brought laughter, friendship, loyalty and hell into his life all at once but he wouldn't have it any other way. There wasn't a single person out there that he trusted more with Jenny, well maybe Nathan too, than her. The way that Brooke loved his little girl was amazing. Jake would forever be grateful to her because it provided a female presence in Jenny's life and it allowed him to practice with Nathan and hopefully regain his position on the basketball team.

"And because I care, you're going to tell me what's going on with you." Jake said sternly, well as sternly as a drunk man could anyway.

"I don't know what you're talking about Jacob." Brooke said innocently.

"Ohh, no you don't, Nathan told me about how you freaked out on him." Jake said imitating the brunette by raising an eyebrow. "Even for you, it was a little dramatic, don't you think?"

"Hey, well, did he tell you he was being an ass?" asked Brooke defensively, arching an eyebrow back at Jake.

"Yes, and that he was trying to apologize to you when you went crazy." answered Jake. "So, just tell me already."

"There's nothing to tell!" insisted Brooke.

"Does this have anything to do with your feelings for Nathan?" asked Jake bluntly. He looked at her, waiting for a reaction. The shocked-frustrated-flustered look and the fact her cheeks were now glowing gave Jake his answer.

"What! That's ridiculous! I don't have-" started Brooke. She realized that Jake had been spending way to much time with her as his interrogation skills have gotten progressively better as summer went along.

"Rachel already confirmed it." Jake said flatly.

"What!" exclaimed Brooke. "Oh, I am so putting Nair in her shampoo…"

"I kinda assumed you did, even before Rachel told me." revealed Jake.

"How did you know? That obvious huh?" asked Brooke miserably. She sighed and looked down, playing with one of the shells in the sand.

"This isn't a bad thing, you know that right?" assured Jake. When Brooke didn't look up, he lifted her chin and turned her to him. "I'm serious. Listen, I've been with you guys all summer. I see the way you guys look at each other and how you are around each other. I just can't believe it took you so long to figure it out."

"He looks at me?" asked Brooke hopefully, that little tidbit made her heart flutter. But she was a little confused now, was Jake trying to tell her that Nathan had feelings for her too, she thought to herself. She flashed back to Lucas accusing Nathan of having feelings for her, though he never did answer the question, no, that wasn't possible, was it? But even if he did, it didn't matter. There was still the tiny issue of him being married to Haley and his feelings for her. True love never goes away, always and forever…she quickly tried to squash the giddy feeling in her heart.

"Come on Brooke, are you serious? Nathan definitely has feelings for you, he told me." Jake said smiling as he saw Brooke's eyes brighten, but frowned, when her smile faltered. "Hey, isn't that a good thing? Talk to me."

"It's just everything that happened with Lucas and Peyton, you know? And then there's Haley…it just complicates everything." Brooke said obviously frustrated. "I mean, it's just… everything's just so difficult!"

"You're over thinking it. Honestly, Brooke, it's simple. You like him and he likes you. You guys get along great and you know each other better than anyone else. But most importantly, I see how you are together, you make each other genuinely happy." Jake said, putting an arm around Brooke before continuing. "At the beginning of summer, when we first started hanging out, you two were miserable. Then one day, it was like a switch went off and you two started living and enjoying life again and that's because you brought out the best in each other. It's always hard to see these things when you're involved in it but trust me, from the outside looking in, it was obvious that you two had sparks. Why did you think everyone thought you two were sleeping with each other?"

"I really wish it were that simple Jake, but it's not. I mean, there's Lucas-" started Brooke.

"Whoa, what about Lucas? Are you honestly thinking about getting back together with him? Because that's what Nathan told me and I just thought that there would be no way that you would." Jake said seriously. He was one hundred percent against that idea, that's for sure.

"No, I'm not but I'm scared of getting hurt again. I just said that in reaction to what Nathan said. I'm not completely over everything that happened and I know he still has unresolved feelings with Haley. I mean, he's still married!" explained Brooke, hoping that Jake would understand where she was coming from. "It's just that he makes me feel things I've never felt before, and…he could really hurt me."

Brooke took a deep breath. That was a loaded confession for her, and she felt much better now that she's told Jake. She knew that he could be trusted with this sensitive information. She hadn't told anyone that, not even Rachel, though she suspected that Rachel had a feeling. The thing with Rachel and Brooke, they were both very similar, which was the reason why they didn't along in the first place, but they could read each other like a book.

"Brooke, I understand why you feel the way you do, trust me, if anyone gets it, you know it's me." Jake said seriously, looking directly at Brooke.

Brooke nodded.

"Believe me when I say that you and Nathan would be great together. He probably has the same reservations that you do, but eventually we all have to move on. Don't make Nathan or yourself, pay for the mistakes that Lucas and Peyton made. You can't live your life that way and you'll never be able to move on." Jake reasoned. He smiled when he saw Brooke's eyes full of amusement. "What?"

"Who knew you were so wise Jake Jagielski." smiled Brooke. "Especially considering all those beers you had. Gee, you should really take it down a notch next time."

"You're never gonna let me live this down are you?" asked Jake, shaking his head.

"Nope!" squealed Brooke as Jake playfully pushed her in the sand.

"Think about what I said?" asked Jake, helping her up.

Brooke nodded.

"Ok, let's get me some more drinks!" laughed Jake as the two friends walked arm in arm back to the party, laughing the entire way back.

* * *

"So Hot Shot, did ya miss me?" smirked Rachel as she approached Nathan by the bonfire.

"You know I did, Tree Hill wasn't the same without you." Nathan smirked back, sipping his beer.

"Sorry to hear about wifey." Rachel offered, sipping her own drink and looking into the fire.

This was weird for her, having an actual, non sexual conversation with Nathan. Now that she knew that Brooke had feelings for Nathan, she obviously was going to back off with the flirting and sexual innuendos. She didn't really like Nathan, she just thought he was hot and she mostly did it to piss Haley off, why, she didn't really know. Something about Haley's perfect, goody two shoes, self righteous attitude just didn't rub her the right way.

Rachel and Brooke had really become close once they both put their facades down, turns out they were very similar, which was why they hated each other to begin with. Now, they can call each other out on the other's shit and it kept them both honest. Though it may not look like it, their friendship was very strong. For that reason alone, she would never come on to Nathan again, she wouldn't jeopardize her friendship with Brooke over a guy and she knew Brooke would never do that to her.

"Thanks." Nathan said flatly.

"Cheer up Scott, you got to spend the entire summer with that hoe of a Cheer Captain. So really, I don't know what you're pouting about." said Rachel, watching for Nathan's reaction at the mention of Brooke.

She had seen the way that he was looking at Brooke throughout the whole showdown with Lucas earlier. And something about that made her think that his current mood wasn't about his runaway bride.

She noticed how Nathan's face immediately lit up at the mention of Brooke.

"Yeah, she's been...amazing." Nathan smiled to himself, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. No doubtably, thoughts of Brooke.

"So you want her." stated Rachel bluntly.

Nathan was quickly brought out of his thoughts and stared at Rachel, who just rolled her eyes at him.

"You're about as transparent as Peyton. Please, I've been back for what, an hour? And I can feel the tension between you two." Rachel observed, chugging back the rest of her drink. "So make a move already. What, did Haley emasculate you or something? Cuz the Nathan Scott I know would've made a play by now."

"No, Haley didn't emasculate me." Nathan glared at the smirking redhead. "You don't get it, with Brooke, it's not about making a play."

"Then what is it about?" inquired Rachel, watching Nathan carefully.

She of course, noticed tension between the two brunettes, but she only knew where Brooke stood in terms of her feelings, she had no idea where Nathan's head was. There was no way that Rachel was going to allow Brooke to become involved with Nathan if she thought that he would hurt Brooke. Rachel had heard all about how Nathan used to be before he met Haley and the history between Nathan and Brooke (sex tape). She wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be using her friend to forget about Haley.

"Do we really have to get into this?" asked Nathan. He felt more than a little uncomfortable discussing his feelings for Brooke with Rachel.

"Yeah, actually we do. And I'm not leaving until I know what your intentions are. So start talking." ordered Rachel, grabbing another drink for Nathan and herself from the nearby cooler.

"What do you mean what my intentions are?" asked Nathan. "I don't plan on doing anything."

"Seriously, you don't?" blinked Rachel, man was this guy ever dense, she thought to herself. "And why is that exactly?"

"Look, I don't know what you think is going on between Brooke and I, but there's nothing. We're just friends, that's it." insisted Nathan.

Rachel looked at him sceptically.

"Yeah, but you want something to happen." Rachel said matter of factly. "And don't even try to deny it. I'm not blind Nathan."

"I don't know what you want me to say." Nathan said stubbornly.

"Ok, how bout starting off by admitting that you want Brooke." Rachel said loudly. "And guess what Boy Toy, she wants you too!"

Nathan looked at Rachel, searching her face to see if there was any truth to what she just said. Was it really possible that Brooke had feelings for him, he wondered. Had he really lost so much game that he could no longer tell that a girl was into him? Nathan was conflicted between feeling elated that there was a chance for him and Brooke and horrified that at the tender age of seventeen, he had lost his mojo. Man, did Haley do a number on him or what.

"You two are actually ridiculous!" Rachel said rolling her eyes and shaking her head. It was obvious to her as soon as she saw the way Nathan and Brooke looked at each other that there was something there. How they were unaware of this, baffled Rachel. "Really, Nathan? Seriously, you two are beyond help."

"I'm still married Rachel, and she's my brother's ex girlfriend." stated Nathan, all but actually admitting his feelings. "If you couldn't tell, things are a little complicated."

"So? First of all, get a divorce, she left your ass. And what, you're gonna put your life on hold and hope that maybe one day Haley will come back? Say she does come back, then you're gonna live happily ever after? Yeah, I highly doubt that." lectured Rachel, pausing to take a sip from her drink before continuing. "Secondly, who give's a shit about Lucas? He fucked Brooke over hard and now you care that she's his ex? And didn't you sleep with her first? I thought there was something about a sex tape that got Haley's panties all in a knot! Either way, if that's your reasoning for not going after Brooke, you're weak Scott!"

Nathan stared at Rachel speechless. He wasn't expecting the redhead to suddenly go off on him like that. He didn't know if it was because of the alcohol, but to his surprise, what she said actually made sense.

"Wow, I need to start listening to cheerleaders more often." grinned Nathan, impressed with Rachel's blunt and honest tongue lashing.

"Duh!" smiled Rachel as she realized that her words actually got through to the dark haired Scott. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't really know yet." sighed Nathan. He was feeling a little nervous but excited at the same time. "I just don't want to ruin what we have now. You and I both know that Brooke's still not completely over Lucas."

"Correction, Hot Shot, she's over Lucas, she's just not over the betrayal. She's scared to trust someone again and I don't blame her. The thing is though, she trusts you." assured Rachel. "I wouldn't be on your ass about this if I didn't think it was a good idea. She's been through a lot and the last thing I want is to see her get hurt again, but I saw the way you looked at her tonight and I don't think that you would do that."

"I get that, but I don't want to rush into it. I'm not entirely sure of what I'm gonna do yet, but I'll figure it out." said Nathan confidently. "I guess I should start by talking to her huh?"

"Yeah, and looks like you'll get your chance. Don't ruin this, or I'll kick your ass." Rachel said seriously as she directed Nathan's attention to Jake and Brooke walking up the beach. She waved her hand and got their attention. She was pleased to see the pair make their way towards her and Nathan. "Ok, Hot Shot, show time."

* * *

"Jake! Let's go get drinks!" suggested Rachel, jumping up from her seat beside Nathan. She stepped in between Brooke and Jake, manoeuvring it so that her arm was now linked in Jake's instead of Brooke. "We'll get yours too!"

"We'll be back, just stay put and…talk!" Jake yelled back as Rachel dragged him towards the keg, leaving the two brunettes to their own devices.

"Subtlety really isn't either one of their strong points." commented Nathan, patting the vacant spot next to him, indicating he wanted Brooke to sit down.

"No, definitely not." Brooke said, hesitantly taking the seat, not sure what she should say next.

"So…" started Nathan. He hated this awkwardness that was now between them, and he really didn't know what to do to fix it.

"I know, I hate how weird things feel right now." agreed Brooke, turning her head to face Nathan and instantly feeling her cheeks redden when he looked back at her. Good thing it was dark and they were sitting by a fire or she would've been so busted.

"I don't like this either." said Nathan, his heart clenching at how close she was to him.

"Well, we just have to put everything out there then." decided Brooke. "I heard what Lucas said earlier."

"Which part? The part where he accused us of fucking or the part where he accused me of using you?" joked Nathan, shaking his head. The only reason he wasn't pissed about it anymore was because Brooke seemed just as mad as he was and because she pretty much blew Lucas off.

"Yeah, I heard all of that." laughed Brooke. "But I meant about the part where he asked if you had feelings for me."

Nathan froze momentarily and swallowed, he wasn't expecting Brooke to say that. But then again, he shouldn't really be surprised. Brooke didn't have an issue with getting straight to the point.

"What about that?" asked Nathan slyly.

"You didn't answer." stated Brooke pointedly.

"What do you want the answer to be?" smirked Nathan leaning over and bumping Brooke's shoulder playfully.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" smiled Brooke back flirtatiously.

"I would but I think I know what you want." Nathan said confidently as he moved closer to her, finding himself getting lost in her eyes.

"Oh yeah? And what would that be Hot Shot?" breathed Brooke in a sexy voice, her hazel eyes dancing with amusement. Though she displayed an outward calm, her heart was beating frantically in her chest. It was insane how just being close to Nathan elicited such a response from her.

"You want me." Nathan said cockily. Even with the warmth of the fire, her breath on his skin caused goose bumps to erupt over his skin. It was a feeling he could never get tired of. He wanted her too, obviously, but wanted to see what her reaction would be first.

"Do I, now?" Brooke smirked, raising her eyebrow at him.

"It's ok Davis, it was bound to happen. I mean, really, we've been spending this whole summer together, you've seen come out of the shower hundreds of times now and not to mention watching me when I work out. I am Nathan Scott after all." boasted Nathan, flashing her his famous grin.

"Yeah, we have been spending a lot of time together, let's see…" Brooke contemplated jokingly. "I've seen you smell socks before putting them on, heard you sing Lady Gaga in the shower when you think I'm not around and-"

"And…" Nathan cut in, playfully grabbing her onto his lap and putting one of his hands over her mouth to prevent her from saying anymore of his bad habits. "You love it. Go ahead, admit it."

"Please, if anything, you want me!" squealed Brooke once Nathan removed his hand from her mouth and managed to wrestled out of his grasp. "And don't even try to deny it."

"Who says I'm denying it?" countered Nathan, standing himself now, staring intently into Brooke's eyes, smiling as he saw her cheeks flush a little upon his confession.

"Nathan." Brooke said quietly, her eyes moving from his eyes to his lips, suddenly hyperaware of his arm around that had made its way around her.

"Yeah…" Nathan responded in a low voice, instinctively moving closer to Brooke and gently wrapping his other arm around her waist.

"I…" Brooke started, meeting his eyes once again and giving into the feeling of being in Nathan's arms, she inched her face closer to him, placing her arms on his muscular chest and letting them roam to his equally built biceps.

"Yeah…" agreed Nathan, closing the gap between them with a searing kiss. Her lips were perfect, sweet and inviting. He couldn't get enough of them, as they moved perfectly with his.

Brooke was surprised at first but it didn't take long for her to respond. Nathan's lips were softer, more fuller than Lucas and it only took her a moment to get used to his kisses. She felt her body being pulled even closer to Nathan's and she could feel that his body was just as much on fire as hers was at the moment.

They reluctantly pulled away, breathless, and stared at each other in silence momentarily. Brooke smiled up at Nathan, wrapping her arms around his neck and stood up on her tip toes to kiss him again, more passionately and urgently then before, both not caring about how public their display was. She felt his tongue push past her lips forcefully, massaging her tongue as she let out a satisfied moan.

As soon as the moan escaped Brooke's lips, Nathan felt like a man possessed, his hands caressing her body as he pulled her into him, taking in how soft her skin was and how silky her hair felt. He only hoped that their kisses elicited the same emotions in her as well. He slowly moved his kisses down to her neck, smiling against her when he felt her shiver under his touch.

But somewhere, deep inside him, Nathan found the will power to stop. He knew where this would lead and he wanted to clarify things with Brooke before they went any further. Though he realized that they had already previously slept together, this time, the circumstances were way different than the last and he wanted Brooke to know that. He needed her to know that he wanted more than that and so he stopped himself.

Brooke let out a frustrated grunt, clearly not liking the fact that Nathan had stopped what he was doing. Then the frustration turned into panic. What had she done, she thought to herself. Now that she's kissed him, she didn't want to stop.

"Nathan." she whispered to him looking at him with a smile. "What are we doing?"

"I just want you." Nathan said simply. He looked down at her and smiled. It felt good to finally say it to her, though he wondered if it was enough. He was sure that she was used to elaborate speeches and endless love letters from Lucas but that wasn't his style. He was more to the point. "I don't want you to think that the kiss meant nothing to me because it meant a lot. And I'm not looking for a repeat of the night we made the tape, I want more. Somewhere between hogging all the hot water in the shower and eating the last Oreo, you got me. And I, I want to see where this can go, because I think this is good."

"Nathan, that's what I want too." Brooke admitted. She stepped up to him and forcefully pulled him to her by the top of his shorts, putting all of her unsaid feelings and emotions into the kiss in hopes he would feel them.

Nathan responded immediately with a passionate kiss of his own, gently pushing his tongue past her lips so he could taste her again. He could kiss her forever, the feeling it left him with was unlike any other he had ever felt. He pulled away and smiled at her, staring into her eyes. He lifted his hand to brush her cheek and push away her hair, happy at how natural it felt.

Brooke smiled back at him, closing her eyes as she turned her head along with his hand. She couldn't believe this was happening, any doubts that she had before evaporated the second she kissed him. Just as she had done, Nathan had poured all his feelings into the kiss and she knew he felt the same as she did.


End file.
